The Science of the Inexplicable
by four-eyed 0-0
Summary: Eight years since the first Makai Tournament, a new case opens with peculiar mutants swarming both the Human and Demon World. As it happens, Kurama has other issues to deal with, as his mother raises a very significant point regarding the future. With an acerbic, resolute professor thrown into the picture, the friends find themselves in a roll.
1. Chapter 1: Tables

Disclaimer: All fandom-based and real-life entities mentioned in this piece do not belong to me, with the exception of original characters. The cover image of this fan fiction was made from images found on the Web, and credit goes to the rightful owners, the image links on my profile page.

Rated T for themes and violence.

* * *

**The Science of the Inexplicable**

by four-eyed 0-0

Chapter 1: Tables

While occupied with the usual visits to hotels under the name of his stepfather's company, Kurama was very much convinced that he had the most human life he had lived for the past twenty-five years of his existence as Shuichi Minamino. Albeit routine and sometimes boring, he could never have asked for anything else to do as he continued on living under this assumed identity, and even as he was obligated to fulfill his duties as a loving son to his adoptive mother Shiori, he had found as much pleasure in his seemingly peaceful current way of living as he had only imagined years ago.

The triennial Demon World Tournament and occasional cases offered by Koenma provided as much spice through the years, but even so he was certain that a significant change had occurred since the last time he chose to take the path of a thief, consequently meeting Yusuke and getting involved in the workings of the Reikai. The world he chose to live in for the time being had undergone much alteration, and now that humans had been made more aware of the existence of another world besides their home, he hadn't felt as peaceful.

There was just one problem, one which he considered highly trivial, but his mother had otherwise made the subject of a debate over dinner last night. As it happened, his stepfather and stepbrother had seconded his mother's opinion—that he should already be searching for a partner. He endeavored in dismissing the matter as unimportant, explaining that he was still young and wished to focus on more immediate things in life. His mother had looked doubtful after his piece, and instead asked for assurance "that when you find someone, you _won't_ let her go." As the ever-loving son, he had simply done as she wished, and much to his relief, the rest of dinner had gone relatively better. His action had rendered him guilty once more, even after having mastered the art of lying centuries ago. This train of thought led him back again to the fact that he had been living as a human, and humans, in general, had gentler nature than any other creature in all of three worlds.

Spoken to no one, however, was that he did not want to enter a lifetime commitment while he lived as Shuichi. It wasn't due to his relative disinterest in the affair, but due to the fact that he would, eventually, have to leave his human life when his family no longer needed him and his human body fell to decay. He had made this resolution a few years back, and he wasn't about to change it.

He entered the hotel for his periodical assessment, greeting the receptionist as he signed his name on the logbook. His stepfather had offered him a position in the company when he had graduated from high school, and a year ago he had been promoted as supervisor of the hotel branch in the Ginza district. From time to time he came to visit the said branch, scheduled or otherwise, meeting up with the manager to discuss and study the state of affairs of the business.

Finished with scanning his identification card for verification, he headed for the elevator and pressed the button bearing the floor where the managerial office was. When the door to his left opened and let off a woman, he immediately went inside, eventually ending up at the back as three other people filed in. Seconds later the woman who had just exited stuck a heeled shoe between the closing doors and excused herself as she went in, and much to Kurama's curiosity, she now had a shaken male employee next to her whose eyes were constantly changing focus. The hotel had boasted elevator cars built with mirrors for walls, and Kurama had never found it more helpful than when he had to observe his companions, a use that digressed from the usual rationale behind designing lifts as such, which happened to be to serve for the passengers' aesthetic ventures. When he looked at the mirror reflection of one side of the woman's face, he noted her impatient expression, her bespectacled eyes cast straight ahead, and the white-knuckled grip she had on one of her arms crossed along her chest.

The redhead focused his gaze on the employee, willing him to realize his attention. The moment never came, however, as the door dinged and the employee and the woman exited on the seventh floor. Before he could stop himself, Kurama followed them, fearing that a complaint was to be reported.

Judging from the way the woman speechlessly and hurriedly walked, Kurama verified his assumption. He had dealt with many complaints throughout the years and he wouldn't mistake the gait the customer had for anything else. The party of two went straight for the conference hall and through the wooden double doors, allowing for a portion of projected speech to register in his ears before the door fell closed again. He quickly headed for the entrance, pushing the door slightly open to survey the inside of the densely-packed hall, noting a suit-clad speaker at the front discussing a projected slideshow, the audience seated on roughly twenty round tables in parties of six listening in one way or another. Once he remembered that this was the research conference reported to have been scheduled today in the hotel, he slipped through the entrance and was greeted by a woman on a desk.

"Your name and affiliation, please," she automatically said in a deep voice, bored eyes looking up at him.

Kurama bowed, reached for the ID card slung around his neck and presented it to the receptionist, saying, "I'm Shuichi Minamino, supervisor of this hotel branch. I've come to assess this establishment's reception and service for your conference."

The receptionist nodded in acknowledgment and motioned at the far end of the hall where the food tables had been arranged. "Minamino-san, there's been a misunderstanding between your staff and a committee head and currently they're trying to sort out the blunder."

Keeping his upset to himself, he asked, "May I step in?" He should have been prepared for this as he had been able to diagnose the problem immediately, but he found himself lamenting the situation nonetheless.

"Feel free to discuss with Mabasa-sensei. I believe she's currently with one of your employees."

He bowed to the receptionist once more, thanking her and excusing himself to head over to the back of the hall. The woman named Mabasa stood by a corner with her hands on her hips, and from the expression she wore, Kurama surmised that she was very displeased with the shrunken and speechless employee. He was a few feet from the two when the latter finally glanced away and recognized him, which prompted a shrill exclamation of his name and a reflexive bow.

Mabasa crossed her arms and turned her glaring eyes to him, eyebrows colliding and lips pressed to a thin line. Kurama took a moment to study her appearance, noting that a name tag bearing, _Dr. G. Mabasa, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo_, was fastened to the pinstriped shirt tucked neatly into her slacks. When she raised a questioning eyebrow at him, he covered the rest of the distance from her, bowed and extended the hand not holding his briefcase. "Good morning, I'm Shuichi Minamino, the supervisor of this hotel branch. I take it that you want to speak to the manager? I've come to his aid."

She nodded at him curtly and shook his hand once. Kurama dimly noted that her hand was exceptionally cold, and when she crossed her arms once more, he noted that her fingers were purple. Pushing her eyeglasses up the bridge of her nose, she stared him down and said in a clipped, crisp tone, "Mabasa from Todai. I was assigned as head of the hall arrangement committee for this affair, you see, and have _explicitly_ requested that pale blue tablecloth be used for the participants' tables."

She huffed, tucking a stray lock of dark hair too short to be included in the elegant bun at the back of her head behind her ear. Kurama registered a faint foreign accent in her voice aside from the very formal way she spoke Japanese, which appealed to him greatly as it was very unbecoming of native speakers at this point in time. Before he could finish this train of thought, she spoke again.

"Apparently, I was misunderstood, and your staff had made an effort to choose the color from the opposite side of the color wheel," she said, scorn dripping from each word. She gestured to the hall, and Kurama followed her hand to see that indeed, the tables donned on orange covers. He managed to hold in a flinch, and turned to Mabasa once more as she continued. "I still fail to fathom how such an error is possible, and considering that this is a scientific conference with the purpose of exchanging ideas and learning, I had expected that your staff would know better than using tablecloth hues save for ones that induce relative calm and refined memory."

When she paused and stared at him, demanding an explanation, he bowed to her again, his employee following the example. "We are very sorry for this misstep, Mabasa-sensei." He straightened to say to her, "What can we do to compensate for the damage caused?"

Her nostrils flared and she rolled her eyes. "Nothing can make amends for what has already happened, Minamino-san," she spat out. "I have already been made a laughingstock. Expect that no more future affairs be entrusted to this hotel of yours by our department. So to speak, I hope this would serve as a lesson for you and your business. Excuse me."

Then and there she turned on her heel and went away in a manner that Kurama had come to liken to guaranteed vindication. He had encountered customers who made it blatantly obvious how errors in arrangements marred their person,—violently or coldly, with the latter was the case at the moment, for which he was secretly grateful. Pro tem it would do as a small ray of light as he wouldn't have to deal with a scandalous outburst. His employee once again bowed to him and apologized in the same shrill voice he had used, and he waved his worrying off, instead opting to invite him to a discussion with the manager. This made the employee even paler, and Kurama had to make extra effort to assure him that he needed not trouble himself over it, that he wouldn't suspend or lay him off.

Kurama could only imagine his stepfather's reaction over this—a veiled face of disappointment. He had known him long enough to conclude that he was a very good man, and apart from the care he had given Shiori and their family, the redhead had revered him for his long thread of patience and careful treading over whatever issues the company faced. Normally he would have been relieved knowing this, but over time and again he had started doubting just how much more his stepfather could take. Although his stepfather had assured him that he couldn't have asked for anyone else who could handle the position entrusted to him, it bothered the redhead to no end.

After all, he didn't want to be a disappointment as he, ultimately, had only borrowed this life from an unsuspecting Shuichi.

○—○

As she helped another yawn from escaping her lips, Geneva cradled her heavy head with the palm of her left hand, continuing to scribble with her curly red-inked penmanship along the margin of the journal she was critiquing. The last dregs of her coffee had been reduced to frozen slop at the bottom of the can that she would not want to touch, and she had yet to order dinner.

Allowing herself a pause from work as her tired eyes watered, her outstretched hands consequently caught the attention of the young lad manning the counter, and he straightened to see her hold up a hand before he could go over her table by the window, signaling for him to stay put. Since she had thought a stretch from her work was long overdue, she decided to go out of her way and walk the few feet to the counter to place an order after stowing away the previously cluttered papers in a neat stack at one end of the tabletop. She had long deemed that the diner was one of the safest places she had ever been to, and leaving her possessions on her table had since not been an entirely foreign, frightening, or foolish idea, especially at the moment, when the three other patrons had monopolized tables distant enough to make it impossible for anyone to attempt robbery and escape unscathed. The young lad on the counter served as an even better foolproof of assurance, as she had seen him in action for several occasions in the course of the almost four years that he had known him.

When she reached the counter, the lad reached for his notepad and pen and asked, grinning, "What's for today, nee-san?"

Geneva smiled at him fondly, pleased with the way he had always regarded her as an older sister after moving past the stage of calling her "sensei." She was only a year his senior, but after her insistence two years ago that he stopped calling her as though she were still a stranger, he had taken it to himself to grant her the sister title. She couldn't have asked for anything better, as she herself was very happy for being considered family.

"I will have my usual with extra chilly, Yusuke-kun. I am in dire need of something that can wake me up," she said, leaning on the counter. She refused to sit down to stretch her stiff muscles, especially her gluteus. "Is Keiko-chan now bound to go home?"

The young man had turned back to his cooking, and thoughtfully replied, "She's mailed me saying she'll be late, says it's some group assignment that needs finishing."

She hummed her understanding and added, "That is a shame. I plan to stay an hour or two after my dinner so I could assist with her review for the examination." The professor had known Keiko from when she was still a fourth year student at Yotsuya, back when Geneva was working as a lecturer at two universities while studying for her doctorate at Todai. The younger girl had been her student in a chemistry course for one whole term, and a few months later when she discovered the diner Keiko and Yusuke ran jointly, she had been made their acquaintance. Presently Keiko was taking up postgraduate studies to specialize on science for secondary education before she took the licensure examination on April. Ever since Keiko graduated from being the professor's student, Geneva had volunteered her help in the younger girl's studies, which sometimes earned her a free meal the young couple always insisted that she accepted.

She had, without fail, always asked how Yusuke could not have continued his studies years prior, but after much debate, she had come to accept the decision the lad had made. Geneva had heard anecdotes of his consistent troublemaking when he was still in junior high, and although she found his past actions highly deplorable and only becoming for redemption through pursuing higher education, he had raised a point of being better off doing something that he was considerably good at—cooking. The professor guessed that this was a sublimation of his care for the people he loved, since in an amusing reversal of roles, he grew up cooking and doing household chores for his mother. Hence when he had found the woman he would gladly serve for the rest of his life, he decided it best to make the most of what he could do to fend for Keiko and himself. As she was informed, Keiko's parents had previously owned the diner, and upon Yusuke's proposal of running it with their daughter, the Yukimuras were, for lack of a better-fitting description, more than ecstatic. Suffice it to say that Yusuke had earned a fan himself in the form of the professor.

"Yeah, well, it can't be avoided, but thanks anyway, nee-san," Yusuke said, serving her bowl of ramen and glass of barley water. She promptly reached for her purse and took out the exact amount for her meal, handing the bill and coins to the grinning Yusuke. "You sure you want to carry that?"

"Yes, I have been doing so every single time and you are aware of that. I need to move to take the tire out of my muscles, Yusuke-kun," she explained, taking the tray. "Very well, I will take it from here."

At Yusuke's nod, she turned around and headed for her table once more, taking great care not to twist her ankle or do something equally damaging lest she wished for Yusuke's excellent cooking and her money to go to waste. She sat herself when she accomplished the present task at hand and had deposited the tray safely on the table. Crossing herself, she gave grace to her food and started eating her dinner in relative peace, occasionally staring out the window.

Yusuke had often joked about her leaving a lasting impression on the spot she currently occupied, and Geneva could only agree with him. Since the first time she had wandered into the diner, she had chosen to take the table at the far corner next to the window. The isolation and natural lighting coming from the window provided her a suitable working space for when she decided to have Yusuke's cooking for dinner after another long day at Tokyo. The added benefit of getting to witness the sunset silhouetting the surrounding houses and buildings every time and getting to observe people beyond the clear glass window made it all the more enticing. Yusuke and his friend Kazuma would often try to irk her by even doing so much as standing outside and pressing their hands and faces on the glass, which she tirelessly would reprimand them for, posing questions on how they could not think of the germs and dust that had accumulated on the surface and that could possibly affect their health. Yusuke would then act hurt over her supposed hinting that he didn't tend to the windows, but Geneva would just roll her eyes at his antics.

Now, Geneva wasn't _exactly_ mysophobic, but she saw to it that she avoided anything that could affect her health negatively, especially because she already lacked sleep most of her days and hence had a weaker immunity against sickness than some individuals her age.

_And speaking of one of the devils_, she thought to herself as a young, orange-haired lad in a coat emerged from outside as the bell overhead the door tinkled, went straight to the counter, and smacked Yusuke's raised hand in greeting. The two friends exchanged some incomprehensible words and a moment later, another young man was admitted into the diner, his long, vibrant mane of red striking a buried memory in Geneva's head. _Where had she seen him before?_

Her train of thought was halted when she was caught looking by Kazuma, who immediately headed over her table to greet her after disposing of his coat on a seat by the counter. "Hello, nee-san! Sorry for interrupting your meal. How's it going?" he said, flashing a grin and saluting her.

Geneva returned the smile and motioned for him to sit down across from her. Kazuma took the seat and she asked how his day had gone. The young man had graduated from college three years ago, and was now a licensed civil engineer. They had met in the diner when he was in his last year of college, and after learning so, she had proffered him some help in his studies just as she had for Keiko's. The professor was more than happy to have gained another friend as she was glad to extend her help whenever she could. She was even permitted to be acquainted with Eikichi, Kazuma's cat, in return, and she had stated that she couldn't have asked for a better compensation as she was too an avid fan of felines.

When the young lad finished relaying the state of affairs in his office, he jumped slightly, as though remembering something of vital importance. "By the way, I want you to meet a friend of ours," he said excitedly.

"Oh, yes?" was all she managed to say, knowing full well who the friend was and hoping that her feelings had not been made blatant from her tone.

Geneva dismissed her unnecessary angst as Kazuma rose from his seat, unsuspecting, to wave at Yusuke who was speaking to the redhead seated at the counter. "Hey, Urameshi, tell Kurama to come here," he called, which prompted the man named Kurama to look over his shoulder. Again, a faint sense of déjà vu washed over her as their gazes met, but for the life of her, she could not place where and when she had seen his face.

The redhead headed over their table and as he neared them, something clicked inside Geneva's head. She was vaguely reminded of tables and her fingers automatically snapped when finally she remembered. He had managed to say hello before she cut him off with a triumphant exclamation upon realizing who he was: _Eureka!_

"Excuse me, but I know you," she said, massaging her chin. "You are the supervisor of Hotel Hatanaka from a year ago… Shuichi Minamino, was it?"

"Huh?" Kazuma interjected, clearly not understanding.

"Just now, however, you were called Kurama…" Geneva continued to wonder aloud, her eyebrows colliding, half-convinced that there was something very shady with the situation.

The redhead ruefully smiled at her before saying, "Yusuke and Kuwabara had taken it to themselves to call me Kurama, like a nickname." He met her scrutinizing gaze, and belatedly bowed to her. "I sincerely apologize for what had happened last year."

Before Geneva could launch on a speech and voice out the absurdity, if not comicality, of being and permitting to be nicknamed after a valley, Yusuke had gone and clapped the redhead on the shoulder and said in a very amused tone, "What a surprise! So you two know each other? How come you never told us, eh?"

"The circumstances under which we met actually do not equate to a _fond_ memory and thus would not be ideal material for reliving," said Geneva matter-of-factly, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Although the incident had happened relatively a long time ago and was supposed to have been forgotten and buried in the past, learning that the man she had sworn never to transact with was a friend of her friends' did not sit well with her. The conference had been her first assignment as head of a committee, and no matter how much she justified that she at least held the least of the blame, she could not deny the damage it had inflicted to her reputation as a budding member of the academe and scientific community.

"Well isn't that awkward?" Yusuke said, obviously not in the mood to quit his usual teasing. When both Geneva and the redhead shot him a withering glance, he grinned sheepishly and raised his hands in surrender.

Kazuma interrupted further violence—as much violence as a physically-challenged professor such as herself could cause; Kurama did not even come across as someone who could hurt a fly—when he cleared his throat loudly. "But hey, that's all in the past, right? I think it's high time you get acquainted with each other on friendlier terms," he said hopefully, looking at both of them.

"Hmm, yes, I think that would be unquestionably better," said Geneva at length, by which time Kazuma looked almost positive to be thinking that his attempt at peace was futile. She rose from her seat and bowed to the redhead, extending a hand. "I am Geneva Mabasa," she said in the same terse tone she used to address strangers. Had she previously met the man under more favorable circumstances, she would have used a warmer tone.

"Call me Kurama," he said, smiling, as he took her hand to shake it. Geneva mutely noted how warm his hand was, much like the last time she had shaken it, which was much of a difference to her perennially frozen hands. For the five years she had stayed in Japan, her body was never able to adapt to the climate and would always fall ill every time the season changed. It had been a tall tale among her students and colleagues that she belonged to a cold-blooded mammalian species because her body temperature was almost always dependent to that of the environment. Before, she could only mentally curse them into oblivion for making fun of her frail health, but for a long time she had seemed to have moved past all of it and even secretly gave them as much credit as was due for having sound scientific basis in making up names: _Yuki-onna, Ice Queen, Queen of the Snakes. _Most of the other innovative names had come from her failing students, though, and she was confident these stemmed from spite.

"It's nice meeting you," Kurama added when she pulled her hand back.

"I could say the same," she automatically responded with a smile of her own to hide her discomfort and white lie.

_Spells awkward_, indeed.

* * *

A/N: Hello! So I am back again. I originally planned for a new HieixOC fic and after much consideration, I decided that this will have Kurama paired up with an OC. And I think by now you know who that will be. I'm quite aware that only a few select fics involving a canon character paired with an OC are received well in this fandom, but even then I wish this story will be remarkable in one way or another. I have to work hard to earn it, of course.

I have also decided to write this in an omniscient third person point of view, so every now and then you'd get to hear other people's thoughts. It's pretty cool to get to write other characters, and considering that this is a mystery-romance fic, I guess it's fitting to have Yusuke and Kuwabara and all other characters sharing their thoughts from time to time. I have a supporting character to be included in this fic and you'll be able to hear from the bad guys too. I'm also keeping an average of 4,000 words per chapter, and with what little time I'll have to write this story once school starts, I'm afraid it will have to progress slowly.

As you can see, Geneva is much older than any of the original characters I have created, and that itself is a challenge. My thoughts regarding her? I could safely say that I feel immense connection to this professor not only because we're both bespectacled, scientifically-inclined _and _Filipino but because some of my inner demons are reflected in her and especially in the way she thinks. I decided that I'll step up and create someone who's very much alike me, someone I can easily relate to, but still quite different in that I don't think I'll ever be like her and I'll never want to be like her. She's too persevering and rationalizing, things I'm not exactly good at. And she's old. Hahaha.

So anyway, that's enough of my rambling. Thank you for clicking on this story and I wish you'd leave a review and add this to your lists. Tell me what you think, please? The first two chapters are only to set things up, I promise! :)

Till next time!


	2. Chapter 2: Acquaintance

Disclaimer: All fandom-based and real-life entities mentioned in this piece do not belong to me, with the exception of original characters. The cover image of this fan fiction was made from images found on the Web, and credit goes to the rightful owners, the image links on my profile page.

Rated T for themes and violence.

* * *

**The Science of the Inexplicable**

by four-eyed 0-0

Chapter 2: Acquaintance

In all five years of Yusuke's business, Kurama had always made it a point to drop by and have a taste of his friend and teammate's cooking every chance he could get. His business ventures on top of family obligation still made it possible for him to gather with the group from time to time, a pleasure that he was very thankful for as they were as much a family to him as the current one he had. This afternoon was one of the several occasions when he had arranged a meeting with both Kuwabara and Yusuke for a light drinking session—as light as he could go with present company—as it was a Saturday and no work was bound to hold them up from having as much time as they would like to spend together.

They had planned it all, but a certain no-stranger crossed his path again, and now they were seated around one of the tables in the diner that had been closed half an hour ago to offer their little group privacy. It had required really gentle to slightly rough pushing in Yusuke and Kuwabara's part to have the professor stay and drink with them after she had made a point of being too exhausted from work to be drinking on a weekend. Funny was that she had only previously emphasized how she needed to finish her journal critique and then seemed to have resorted to pleading with the excuse of being beat and then casting the two best friends with her icy glare. None of her actions proved effective, and now she was seated between Yusuke and Kuwabara, displeased and irksome with the whole affair.

"Geneva-nee's a professor at Todai. Isn't that just awesome?" Yusuke said, bumping his shoulder against the lone female. "What was it again that you're teaching?"

"Genetics and molecular biology," she said, refusing to look at anyone but her beer can.

A smile tugged at the corner of Kurama's lips who was amused at her dispirited nature, and he held it down with a question, "Do you have other endeavors, Mabasa-sensei?"

She pushed her eyeglasses up the bridge of her nose for the umpteenth time that evening before replying, "I am currently a researcher in a private molecular and cellular biosciences institution." She drank from her can of beer and raised her gaze to meet his, as though challenging him to react in any way unbecoming of her first impression of him; Kurama was fairly certain that the first impression she most probably held for him was that of the supervisor whose subordinate had proven incompetent, although on second thought, he was getting a little too ahead of himself.

He was about to speak when she said, "To satisfy your curiosity, I am not too young to be a professor. I was born in 1975 and was able to be promoted as assistant professor a year after earning my doctorate in Tokyo Daigaku."

Kurama contained his surprise at her sudden stance in the conversation, and instead nodded in understanding. As it was, she was only his age and he could not help but feel moved with her achievements. If not for his long-running resolve of keeping a low profile and peaceful life whilst he lived as a human, he could have pursued higher education and be standing at her level. But of course it was too late to think of it now, and he regretted nothing. "I see. I've been rather curious, but you're not from Japan, are you, Mabasa-sensei?"

She smirked, and the redhead took this as a sign of esteem for him. "No, I am not. I am Filipino and I moved here to pursue my studies and career as a scientist. I take it you surmised as much from my accent and non-colloquial use of the Japanese language?"

"Yes, that is quite the case," he said, smiling genuinely. "Aside from your outward appearance and name, of course." He emphasized his point by gesturing toward her. Geneva sported a medium brown complexion quite different from the artificial tan people with naturally-fair skin acquire from staying too long under the sun, one which was made fairer years after staying in a foreign, non-tropical country.

"Hey, no need to hog all the talk," said Kuwabara, feigning disgust.

Geneva made a show of rolling her dark eyes at the orange-haired boy. "I was under the impression that you wished for us to get to know each other better, Kazuma-kun. Why contradict yourself now, young man?"

The way she addressed Kuwabara as though she were not only more than a year his senior amused Kurama to no end. He had met more females in the business than he could count who held themselves with high regard, but something in the professor's manner of reprimanding the two best friends came across as unique and almost endearing, and he asked himself how she could be the same neurotic and iron woman he had met a year ago. From what he could deduce, Yusuke and Kuwabara were very fond of her, and that was saying something.

"It was a joke! A joke, nee-san, a joke, a'right?" Kuwabara said, tapping her on the shoulder.

The professor only grunted and tucked her chin on the back of one hand in response. "Say, I am intrigued. How did you get to know these two young lads here, Kurama-san?" she said, cocking her head slightly to the side.

"We're friends from junior high."

As though someone had poked her spine, she perked up. "Indeed? Does that mean you come from their junior high school too?" Her gaze almost gave the impression of disbelief, if not surprise.

The redhead brushed this thought off and laughed. "No, I didn't come from the same school."

"What's so funny, Kurama?" Yusuke said, grumbling. "Just because you came from some private school? Big whoop."

"Yusuke-kun, you do not have to be on the defensive. I have never once stepped into a private school in all of my twenty-seven years of existence and still I am here," Geneva said in a very patronizing voice.

Kurama's eyebrows quirked at her comment, not because of her openness with regards to her age but more on the implication of what she had just said. Having been educated by private institutions all of his life, the redhead had thought he received the best form of education in all of Japan. It seemed that the professor had very little discrimination between public and private institutions, and it was an opinion that baffled him even with his years of experience. Perhaps it stemmed down to the fact that she was Filipino, and Filipino people were known to patronize institutions supported by the state, especially due to its being, technically-speaking, a third-world country. Poverty notwithstanding, he thought Geneva's efforts had borne rich fruit.

"What're you even trying to say, nee-san?"

"I was trying to tell you that receiving your education in a certain school does not dictate what becomes of you. It is the attitude you have towards schooling that does so," she said, smirking. He knew that she was aware that it was a rhetorical question, and from the looks of it, she wanted to get the rise out of Yusuke.

The fox made a mental note. The professor was more than she let on.

"I thought we're already over this, nee-san." Yusuke made a face, defeated.

Kurama chuckled quietly, realizing that Yusuke probably had been hearing an earful from the professor. Somehow the thought of Genkai being reincarnated in the form of the woman in front of him flitted briefly in his mind, but he immediately let the notion go, telling himself that no one could ever replace Genkai as Yusuke's and their mentor.

Tilting an eyebrow at Yusuke, the professor said with all the calm of a plant, "Why, yes, we are. Was I unclear?"

The expression on Yusuke's face was priceless. Kurama was sure he did not understand what Geneva had wanted to say, and the redhead laughed lightly at this before receiving a cold glance from the detective that cut him off, inducing him to turn his laughter into a cough.

"Oh, you're giving me a headache, Geneva-nee."

"Am I?" The professor continued to affect nonchalance, her eyes sparkling in silent amusement.

Kuwabara stepped in, sighing very audibly after drinking from his beer can. "Lady and gents, where were we?"

The redhead opted to expound on his interrupted telling of history, the version they told everyone else who managed to get wind of their little group's association. They had mastered this already throughout the years, and after much practice everyone was able to tell people without so much as stuttering. "Well, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and I had met by accident while they were getting beat in a tunnel under a bridge. I was merely passing by on my way home when I found them ganged up on, finally deciding to help them out." Several years before when they had devised the _story_,Kurama had wanted a whole other version that did not involve him being an honor student cum street fighter, but after Hiei had pointed out that the detective and "idiot"—a word Kurama surmised was Hiei's equivalent to a human with a will as hard as steel and a heart of gold—would not pass as anything but delinquents, he conceded, thinking it was best to have it be as consistent with the true story as was possible.

Geneva took her time to digest what he had just relayed, and when she halted massaging her chin pensively, she said, "I have to say, you did not come across as the street fighter type of person to me." Something about the way she said this told Kurama that she was not convinced with the story, and he questioned how that could be the case when he had been one of the masters of the art of lying.

"Why do you say that, nee-san?" Yusuke asked, challenging the professor to say anything remotely rude.

"You know the answer to that, young man," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Kuwabara was in the process of drinking from his can when he choked, letting some of his drink trickle down his chin. "Eh?" he exclaimed, wiping messily. "What do you take us for, Geneva-nee?"

Yusuke scoffed, crossing his arms. "I thought you're way better than other girls, nee-san. Just because you think Kurama's a pretty boy doesn't mean he can't kick some ass if he wanted to."

Kurama wasn't expecting such translation of what Geneva had said, and he struggled to keep his composure from thawing right in front of the professor. The two friends had known the professor for four years and he, in just measly hours, and in point of fact, he wasn't very confident with his assessment of the professor's persona.

He was pulled out of his reverie when the professor laughed heartily, not even bothering to cover her mouth as she did so, and openly smacking Yusuke on the shoulder. The three of them were rendered speechless, and as soon as she regained her calm, she fixed her glasses and let out a sigh while tapping her beet-red cheeks. She deftly fished out a handkerchief from her handbag to wipe the moisture from her eyes.

"Sorry about that, I was merely amused with you, Yusuke-kun," she explained, still laughing lightly. "I regret to inform you that I do think Kurama-san is a 'pretty boy', as you put it, and someone who could not hurt even a fly."

The hairs at the back of Kurama's nape prickled and he pressed a thumb on the bridge of his nose to help a blush from blossoming on his cheeks. He did not anticipate for the professor to even think of him that way when she had so openly made it apparent that she was uncomfortable in getting to know him. It went to show that even though she was a woman of intelligentsia, she was, ultimately, just a woman after all.

"Holy, what's that, Kurama? Are you blushing?" Yusuke observed aloud, so that the other two turned to him in surprise.

Kuwabara burst out laughing, pounding his fist on the table. "Seriously now, Kurama? I'd have thought you're already used to hearing that one from everyone?"

Yusuke wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, smirking. "Ha! I know why! You haven't heard it from someone like nee-san, huh?" he declared triumphantly, raising a fist in the air.

Although Kurama was guilty as charged, he waved the assumption off. "Not really, Yusuke. I just never get used to it."

"Not really, meaning yes, you weren't expecting nee-san to say something like that," the detective pushed, still wiggling his eyebrows.

Kurama averted his gaze to the ceiling-concealed heavens, willing Geneva to say something smart to save himself as she had not uttered a single word through the two best friends' analysis of his reaction to being called the pretty boy, an action that was rather unbecoming of the cutting professor.

"There is no need to look very satisfied with your selves, boys," she finally said, casting the two a weary glance. "I may not be interested in men as a general rule, and I may still have reservations in getting acquainted with Kurama-san, but believe me when I say I can appreciate what is aesthetic."

Kurama looked at the professor who calmly drank from her beer can, and ran through what she had just said. That she was not interested in men did not come as a surprise, but her having to voice it out in his presence when Yusuke and Kuwabara had been trying to suggest something that he would rather not word spoke volumes of how she viewed him.

He concluded that Geneva Mabasa thought that he was under the impression that she somehow liked him and had acted in advance to reject the supposition, perhaps gathering as much from his immediate dismissal of his friends' suggestion. He did not know when it registered, but when he realized it, the metaphorical thermostat seemed to have been turned up, and he was suddenly very uncomfortable.

For years he had avoided any unnecessary attraction with anyone as he did not want any form of commitment as long as he lived as Shuichi. Now that he met someone who had the same decision as he for reasons that he did not know and probably would never know, he found himself agreeing with what Yusuke had uttered just about an hour ago. He wasn't even sure how they had gone from uncomfortable to the opposite then back again in so short a time.

_Awkward_, indeed.

○—○

The taste of the beer had gone too bitter in her mouth. As calm and collected as she had tried to appear, she was just as boiling inside from what she thought the redhead was thinking about her comment. She despised proud and presumptuous men most of all, and would rather not do anything with anyone who left the impression of being such.

Apparently, this Kurama could be categorized with all those men she had come to curse for their being overbearing and too aware of their endowments.

Sometimes Geneva thought how silly it was that some people could not distinguish complements from flattery. She was raised to be as honest and straightforward with people as possible, told that honesty was the best and safest way of establishing a person's credibility and earning another's trust. She did not throw complements into the air to impose on anyone or to give suggestions to anyone. She had practiced the art of expressing what she thought was deserved to be known, and as a person who wanted nothing less than equal honesty, she made it a point to give credit where credit was due.

When she said that she agreed with the idea that Kurama was a very fine member of the male species, she had done so out of what she truly thought and not as a hint to what the other party supposed was a physical attraction, thus her wanting to feed his ego. She had met more handsome men in her years than she could possibly count, and complementing another one was not supposed to suggest that she felt anything akin to attraction. It took more than just a person's outward appearance to gain her respect and admiration, and at the first test, this Kurama had failed.

Geneva could not say that she was surprised. If he had thought that she _liked_ him in any way and would "reject" her by so blatantly negating Yusuke and Kazuma's suggestive statements, she would have to give him the benefit of the doubt while hinting on the fact that she was not, and _would_ not, be interested in anyone. From how much she could infer from the time she had spent with the redhead, she was sure that he was receptive enough to catch on what she had wanted to tell him.

Yusuke had made it even more obvious that he did not understand what she was trying to emphasize from her last statement when he said as a joke, "What do you mean, nee-san? You're not straight?"

She did not help herself from fixing him a cold glare, as relieved as she was for being able to digress from the focus of the conversation.

"Whoops, no need to be tetchy," the young lad said, laughing lightly.

Further squabble was cut off when the door bell tinkled, admitting Keiko into the diner. She headed straight for their table and granted Geneva a quick embrace before kissing Yusuke on the cheek. Sitting herself on the seat she dragged between Yusuke and Geneva, she greeted everyone else and took her coat off.

"How are you, guys?" she asked, smiling brightly at them.

Geneva automatically said she was doing fine, smiling warmly to the younger girl. When everyone else had echoed her words in one form or another, she said to Keiko in a low voice, "Keiko dear, I am sorry I am unable to give you free lessons for tonight as I am under the influence of alcohol. Your boyfriend and Kazuma had shoved me to this position and I am in no way stronger than two pugnacious men."

"So now we're violent?" Yusuke huffed.

Keiko ignored him and laughed while patting her hand. "It's fine, nee-san, I'm beat for today, you know."

"'Sides, you consented to getting to know Kurama," said Kazuma pointedly.

The professor snorted. "Over meal, not alcohol, Kazuma-kun." She did not appreciate his having to turn back to the cause of her unsolicited low.

"Well, how were you doing before I came in?" Keiko wondered, getting a can of beer for herself. Yusuke's fanaticism for liquor had rubbed off on his girlfriend, and as upset as Geneva was, she was relieved to know that the girl made sure not to consume too much and did so only when there was an occasion, and was even more elated upon knowing that Keiko did not smoke, unlike certain men…

"Yusuke was insinuating I am attracted to members of the same sex," Geneva said petulantly, affecting a look of horrification.

Keiko's fist automatically connected with the skull of her boyfriend, which earned a boisterous fit of laughter from Kazuma who sat next to the professor. Geneva helped herself from smiling at her successful attempt by drinking her beer, chancing a glance at the redhead who seemed to look relieved from the distraction, if his small smile were any indication.

"I highly suggest you quit being stupid, Yusuke," Keiko said, growling.

"Why? You're going to break up with me if I don't?" he challenged.

The professor shook her head in disbelief as Keiko spat out, "Yes, I am so going to break up with you."

This made Yusuke even more put out. "Damn it, Keiko, why do you always have to raise the red card whenever I do something?"

"You're the one who suggested it, must I remind you, Yusuke."

"Oh, I did?" the detective said, blinking.

"Yes," Keiko said in a sigh, putting a hand on her face, obviously asking herself how she could have fallen for such a person.

Geneva leaned in to whisper into her ear in the hopes of extinguishing her fears, "He really loves you."

It was true. The professor had known the couple long enough to see how devoted they were to one another, and she had often voiced out how she felt envy over them. She wasn't exactly a woman who wanted to grow old alone, and she knew that deep down, she yearned for someone who would love her as much as Yusuke loved Keiko. Too bad many men would think that, "it's not you, it's me." _Ridiculous._ That same line translated to, "Your smarts are too much for me," and she had heard the same excuse from both her two ex-boyfriends and up to this time she could not understand why men cowered and called her intimidating just because she did not want to be made _just _another woman. She was doing what she loved, and if no one would understand her desire to be what she wanted and insist that they could only take too much blow to their prides, she would rather be left alone.

Keiko sighed audibly and flashed her a smile.

The rest of the night went by in relative peace—which involved skirting around the general subject of Kurama and Geneva's supposed physical attraction; the professor was surprised how easy the two best friends veered away from the topic whenever she maneuvered them by speaking of something else—and by the time that they decided to call it a night, Geneva's creativity had dwindled significantly low, an effect of both the alcohol in her system and the built-up fatigue from working six days straight with only a sum total of seventeen hours devoted to _sleep_. She was almost always amazed at how she could still be alive with such a sleeping pattern as erratic as hers.

While she walked abreast Kazuma who was in the middle of their party of three, she avoided talking and instead tried to appear that she enjoyed a silent tread back home. The diner was only a few blocks away from her apartment complex, and Kazuma volunteered to walk her to it, reasoning out that he and Kurama would just have to take a few more blocks to reach the train station, hence consequently dragging the redhead as some sort of bodyguard. Kurama did not seem fazed by the proposition and even added, "I would think it's ungentlemanly for us to leave you to your own devices at this time when we're capable of accompanying you."

Geneva was not very pleased with how the evening had to conclude, not because the redhead had to come with her and Kazuma, but because he would know where she lived on the first night of knowing him. Addresses being revealed to mere acquaintances did not sit well with her, and with the rough situation they were in, she wasn't less confident that Kurama was no closer to being considered a friend of hers than he was hours ago.

Besides, the story of his first sighting of Yusuke and Kazuma did not seem to tally in a way that she couldn't really explain, and his granting them permission to call him a nickname that was too fanciful to pass as a diminutive of his real name made her a bit more doubtful. But as she trusted that whatever the reason was for the three of them—three, full-grown individuals—to take measures as such were rational, validated reasons, she decided not to linger on the subject of probable cause.

When finally they reached the gate to her apartment complex, she briefly embraced Kazuma, bracing herself for inevitably having to greet the other man goodnight.

"You take care, nee-san. We'll see you soon," said Kazuma, saluting her. Geneva wasn't very keen to see _all_ of them, but she did not voice this out, instead opting to humor him.

"Yes, I will see you. Take care too, Kazuma."

She turned to Kurama who immediately said, "It was nice to meet you again, Mabasa-sensei." He smiled at her, and she swallowed her desire to cock an eyebrow at him.

"Pleasure, Kurama-san," she said stiffly. "Goodnight, gentlemen. Thank you for walking me here."

"Goodnight," they chorused, and she waved just once before opening the gate and slipping inside. As soon as she was out of their sight, she allowed herself a sigh, wondering how she could have made friends when having awkward beginnings was always the case for her.

She ascended the single flight of stairs to her floor and headed for her unit, deciding to quit analyzing the events of today and enjoy as much sleep as she could before continuing her work tomorrow when she was fresh and well-rested.

One last thought was drifting inside her head before she crossed the line between wakefulness and sleep. If she were to stay a friend to Yusuke, Keiko, and Kazuma, she would have to make a friend in the person of Kurama.

An inevitable, inconvenient truth.

* * *

A/N: Hello again! Perhaps you're wondering why I suddenly updated when it hasn't even been a week since the first chapter and when I promised this will progress slowly. I thought I'd upload this one since it's, in its truest sense, basically a continuation of the first chapter and I wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting. Next chapter would feature the action (you'd get to hear others' thoughts) and I wish you'd keep your eyes peeled for it!

So, please tell me what you think about this chapter. How's Geneva? Kurama? Reviews, please?

Bye-bye!


	3. Chapter 3: Smoke

Disclaimer: All fandom-based and real-life entities mentioned in this piece do not belong to me, with the exception of original characters. The cover image of this fan fiction was made from images found on the Web, and credit goes to the rightful owners, the image links on my profile page.

Rated T for themes and violence.

* * *

**The Science of the Inexplicable**

by four-eyed 0-0

Chapter 3: Smoke

Geneva was gingerly drying her hair after her bath when the telephone at the kitchen rang, a groan escaping her throat as she struggled to flip the whole wet mass onto her back and out of her face. Hastily making her way from the confines of her bedroom to the kitchen to eye the abominable device, silently cursed the person who was calling her at the very ungodly hour of eleven—on a Sunday evening no less. The irritated professor picked up the receiver after confirming the caller ID, snarling into the mouthpiece in English, "For heaven's sake, Liz! What's so urgent that you'd call me at the dead of the night?"

The sound of her friend's chuckling on her end could be heard clearly well before she said, "Sorry, Genny, but as I'm in need of your opinion, I had to call you. Besides, you're still awake, and I should _know_ since I'm your friend."

The professor was not able to help herself from flinching at the nickname her American friend had so shamelessly granted her. After years of knowing her colleague and former doctoral classmate, she had come to accept that no amount of pushing _or_ shoving would make the woman stop calling her that. "Yeah, whatever. What do you need my opinion for?"

"Thanks, Genny. Hmm, well, you know we're in charge of the department's activities for this academic year, right?" She paused, waiting for an answer. Rolling her eyes, Geneva grunted her assent. "I was thinking if we should hold a Halloween-themed foundation week."

She should have expected her friend to suggest such a thing, but Geneva had faith that Liz would know better. For the almost five years that they had served as members of the department—members of the student body and faculty—, the foundation week celebration had always involved exhibits, symposia, and quiz shows for both college and high school students. Last year's foundation week scientific conference had been a very bitter memory, and she would rather that they do it right this time. Their superiors had made it very obvious every single year that the younger faculty members would be given the burden of organizing the foundation week as if they deserved the torture, and although she and her friends who jumped the teaching bandwagon at the same academic year held the advantage of being more experienced at this point in time, she did not allow herself to be too confident.

"Do you honestly expect me to consent to something like that?" she said, her head suddenly throbbing. "Look, Liz, I've had it with _that_ blunder and you know well that I don't desire a repeat of last year."

"Hey, you don't have to be too touchy. I wanted to hear your honest opinion so we could decide on the theme already. The affair's in three weeks and we've yet to present our proposal to the department head."

Liz had sounded upset and Geneva felt a pang of guilt. "Yes, I understand. Sorry I had to lash out on you… it's just that I had the bad luck of meeting someone I don't want to see yesterday and I'm in a fix right now," she said sincerely. She did not even expect herself to admit this aloud, but when she thought about it again, she was a little relieved to finally have told someone.

"Well, that's indeed unlucky. And as much as I want to hear the whole story from you right now, I do think we both need to finish some piled up work and get some rest," Liz said, humming thoughtfully. "I'll see you tomorrow morning and we'll talk with Hilda and the others, 'kay? Maybe have some dinner to discuss the subject of your distress, then?"

"Yes, Liz, that's just what I need. Thank you. Goodnight."

"Sure, Genny. Sleep well tonight."

Relieved that her friend sounded cheery enough, the professor allowed a small smile to herself. "You too."

Geneva ended the call and replaced the receiver, massaging her temples. Why she was troubling herself with the thought of Kurama she wasn't sure, and despite her attempts at avoiding to think of the redhead, her efforts proved futile and pointless. She could not even understand the situation herself, and she had spent the brief breaks from work and the silence of meals mulling over the quandary that had presented itself to her, in the form of a good-looking man.

She found it unsettling that he would be able to worm his way into her small circle of friends in no time, and no matter how she justified the setup as dubious, she could not do away with the idea that he would prove to be a friend that she would appreciate for reasons that she had yet to unearth.

Which brought her back to her original question: what good would he do her if she was ever to allow him to be a friend of hers?

The professor did not have many fond memories regarding relationships as she had never made genuine friends before entering college. She had found real friends in the form of books and schoolwork, and only when people shared the same brain wavelength as hers was she ever interested to make their acquaintance. Her "friends" from high school had always leeched off her, and she being the kind of girl who believed that being outright generous and compassionate towards others even as they continually would borrow her notes to obtain facsimiles while riling her up for no particular reason whenever they could, she had permitted them to make use of her. And it was only in college when finally, the stupidity she showed in high school had finally dawned on her. Suffice it to say that she had changed drastically ever since.

If being very selective and straightforward with everyone were any indication.

There were exceptions, of course. Yusuke, Keiko, and Kazuma served as proof that through the years she had grown less of a stickler and had learned to accept people who were honest enough to have her as she was, as different as she was compared to them.

Perhaps that was the problem. Kurama seemed to be not too different from her, and she did not like the idea of finding a kindred spirit in the form of the "bishounen." The last and only times she had dared to enter a relationship with people who were in a different league as hers did not end in a promise of bliss, and now that someone who came across as just as intelligent as her arrived, she was having a sense of fulfillment, a feeling that reminded her of a certain person she had always wanted to come to admire and regard as the only one who would ever be able to predict her. She had always liked the idea of that certain someone, a person she would most enjoy having debates with, sharing the same interests with. For the years that she had been in her line of study, she had encountered many who fitted most of her criteria, except that they always viewed her as a competitor, someone they feared could surpass them.

Intimidating? Yes, precisely; she came across as such. Sometimes she thought even the academe and scientific community are sexist.

Or is it also because she was afraid of finding someone who was superior to her?

No, she wanted someone who would look past all her attainments and appreciate who she really was. She wanted someone she could work in harmony with, someone who could stand as her equal in ways that did not have anything to do with career or achievement. Someone she could look past the attainments of and appreciate for who he truly was. Someone she would be very proud of, someone who would prize her for being her.

_Too idealistic, Geneva._

○—○

He had only been up for two hours when an unexpected guest barged in through the door of the diner, taking him by much surprise that the spatula he was holding almost slipped out if his hold. The blue-haired grim reaper bounded to the counter without so much as a backward glance and said in a harsh whisper, "This is urgent, Yusuke. A lab's been attacked by strange creatures we're positive to possess youki."

Before he could stop himself, Yusuke half-yelled in a patronizing tone, "You should've contacted me via the compact communicator to save yourself the trouble of coming here!"

"I've called you up a dozen times and you weren't answering!" said Botan, rolling her eyes.

Yusuke blinked twice, only to remember that he had left his communicator in the room upstairs. The moment he decided to utter some cutting remark, Keiko came running from the apartment, holding the device and a jacket in her hands. It took her a moment to realize that Botan was standing by the counter, and upon bowing to her said, "Hey, Botan, Yusuke forgot this in our room. I thought there was an emergency."

Sparing Yusuke the death glare, Botan bowed back to Keiko and said, "Yes, Keiko-chan. Sorry but I need him to come with me right now."

"Oh, okay, you two better get going. I'll take over from here, Yusuke." She gave him a brief hug before handing him the communicator and jacket and pushing him out the counter. "You be careful, all right?"

"Yes, babe," Yusuke said, saluting her before following Botan out the door. It had been months since their last case, and hearing of another made the detective's blood pump a little faster in excitement and anxiety. "You're lucky, Keiko doesn't have classes on Wednesdays. Have you contacted the others?"

"Yup, Kuwabara and Kurama are on their way now," Botan said, conjuring her oar out of thin air once they had rounded into a deserted alleyway. Yusuke held onto the paddle at one end, and soon they were up in the clouds, the cold morning autumn breeze fanning across his face. "And Hiei?" he shouted over the roaring in his ears.

"He's preoccupied, seems there's an attack in the Makai as well," Botan yelled back, her hair in its usual ponytail whipping behind her head.

An attack in the Makai and Ningenkai? How could that be?

Before Yusuke could sort out his thoughts, Botan said, "We're almost there, hold on tight!"

Yusuke braced himself for the dive, his brain rattling in his skull. He never got used to flying, and he regretted not having requested that they take a different form of transportation for this day. Moments prior to their landing, he noticed a huge column of black smoke rising from one of the buildings of the compound, and Botan automatically steered the oar to head to the source. Once he was on his feet, he caught sight of Kurama and Kuwabara fighting off monsters he had never laid his eyes on, blasts of energy coming from their hands, and he yelled for Botan to send in reinforcements to look for survivors before dashing toward the mob of monsters.

"Kurama, Kuwabara!" he called, preparing to attack with his Shotgun. The familiar tingling sensation enveloped his whole right arm, and he yelled at his companions, "Outta the way!"

He charged for the dozen or so humanoid monsters with insanely-bloated heads after the two had gone a good distance away and wiped them all out with a series of blows. Panting as he checked if the coast was clear, he beckoned for them to follow him into the building and together the three of them dashed, dodging and skipping burning debris, killing off the monsters that came across their way. A huge fallen chunk of the building stood blocking the entrance, and Kuwabara took care of it with his Sword. By the time that they reached the building's lobby, the exit doors at the other end of the room had been rendered impassable, and the dozen people inside had already collapsed from obvious lack of oxygen.

Yusuke was ready to beat himself into thinking how they could rescue this many people in record time when Kurama deftly fished out several seeds from his hair and tossed one at each corner of the lobby. Yusuke and Kuwabara watched as four black-green vines with stems as wide as a human body sprouted from the corners, enveloping the whole room and thus preventing the ceiling and walls to collapse.

"They'll hold for five minutes. We must hurry," said Kurama, already moving to haul two people onto his shoulders. Wasting no time, Yusuke and Kuwabara followed his lead, running to deposit them to safer ground outside where Botan was waiting to tend to them, and when they went back for the last three Yusuke did double take.

One of the employees sprawled on the floor was Geneva-nee, her lab coat and most of her hair that had come off from her usual bun burnt.

○—○

Yusuke cursed under his breath as he got down to his knees and placed two fingers on the professor's wrist, and Kuwabara watching as a small fraction of his face flooded with relief. The detective turned to them who had been behind him and said in an authoritative tone, "She'll be fine. Bring her out of here, Kuwabara."

The carrot-top boy carried the small professor in his arms and Yusuke threw his jacket over her unconscious form before Kuwabara ran for the blasted entrance, Kurama and Yusuke closely following with the last two persons.

By the time they reached Botan and the paramedics, Geneva-nee had started stirring from getting jarred with all his running. When he deposited her on a stretcher, she reached for his shirt, saying in a voice that was barely audible from all the commotion and activity, _"Salamat."_

He gave her a smile and squeezed her hand before allowing an attendant to put on an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. He turned to his companions to say, "I'll accompany nee-san. See you at the hospital."

The three of them quietly nodded, and he slipped into the ambulance, reaching for the hand Geneva-nee had made an effort to raise for him with what little energy she had. A stitch in his chest was building up at the sight of the frail condition of their friend, and he wondered how everyone who ever became involved with their circle would always end up in danger.

He bent down to whisper in her ear some of the words she had taught him, knowing full well how she would appreciate not having to interpret and translate at her current state, _"Dito lang ako, tulog ka na."_

The professor's eyes watered and she smiled before nodding her assent, closing her eyes to take her much needed rest.

Kuwabara had thought that it was one of life's more bitter truths. _No matter who you are, no matter how strong you are, fate will find a way to put you to a test. How you handle the test would determine how stronger you can still become, and what you'd be remembered for. It just goes to show how even the all the Superman in the world still have their own kryptonite._

When Geneva-nee had asked him a long time ago why he'd struggled to become stronger than Yusuke, he had answered, _"I want to be able to protect everyone around me."_

_"Which would include Yusuke, I suppose?"_

The next question had taken Kuwabara by surprise, and without even realizing it, he had, indeed, somehow always wished he could protect his friend as the dumbass had always done for him. For the years that he had known Yusuke, he'd always thought he was his greatest rival, when all the time he had subconsciously regarded him as the best friend he could and would ever have, no matter how the two of them suggested otherwise. That first time when he died saving a kid made him understand just how important the boy was to him, and the tears that he had cried, kicking and flailing, were genuine. Even to this day he was still surprised with the effect the boy's death had on him.

When he came to think about it, he was surer that it was Yusuke who had greatly influenced him to fight and protect everyone, no matter how indirect was his friend's way of showing it. Their philosophies behind fighting was much more deeply-rooted than Geneva-nee had previously reprimanded and judged them for, and as he relayed his and Yusuke's tales of beating the hell out of each other, he had realized more than he was willing to say.

He was even happier that now the little professor held them in higher regard as she would openly express how grateful she was for getting to know "such a lovely pair of young men." But after what had happened today, he was having trouble convincing himself that he still felt the same over the fact that they let her into their group.

Aside from his fear of getting the professor into bigger trouble, he was angry. If he'd known Yusuke well enough, he could at least guess that the detective felt the same over the incident. It was already bad that the attack happened, but it was even worse that their friend had to suffer.

Times like this made him think back on how sad he felt over having to give up fighting when he realized he could no longer keep up with his three teammates. The person he'd thought to be just another superhuman turned out be a demon kin and from that point on he knew he had to give up fighting for another world he wasn't even supposed to step into. He was still human, after all. He had other human responsibilities and aspirations and they all boiled down to the fact that he wanted to do something worthwhile as he lived.

He hadn't given up on fighting entirely, just that he'd rather be successful as a person in the world he was born into. Whenever Yusuke had to call on his help he would come to his aid. Actually, with or without imperative, he volunteered his help. No one could take it away from him. He wanted peace in the Ningenkai, and as someone with the prerogative, he'd fight for it.

Two hours later Botan and Yusuke arrived at the hospital, the former explaining that Kurama had gone to the Makai to discuss with Hiei on the nature of the two attacks. He'd been sitting inside the private room Geneva-nee had requested when she came to after being tended to by the hospital personnel, and presently the professor was in a deep slumber, her breathing evened out.

"You mean the two attacks have some sort of connection?" he asked in a hushed tone, rubbing at his eyebrow. It was almost as if the enemy had wanted to make sure both worlds knew of their existence and plans, which was both frightening and outrageous.

Yusuke nodded, deeply sighing. "Kurama said that if the enemy was capable of launching simultaneous attacks at both the Makai and the Ningenkai, then it has to mean that they're just not alone, but have a whole army of supporters and those weird monsters."

"That makes perfect sense," Kuwabara agreed, glancing toward the professor who was still sound asleep. "I was wondering, though, should we let nee-san in on the secret?"

"Kurama's taken care to alter the memories of all the humans involved in the attack including the paramedics, but he told me he didn't do anything with Mabasa-sensei," said Botan who twiddled with her fingers. "Either he wants you two to decide since you know her more than he does or he wants her to decide."

Kuwabara frowned. If they let the professor go about knowing of the creatures they would have to explain to her eventually as she would surely prod them for details. If they erased her memory, he wasn't sure if there'd be another time when she would learn about their secrets. Knowing her, Kuwabara was confident that she would want to understand why such a thing could happen in a seemingly normal universe, and she would probe them for answers they wouldn't be too willing to share. Either choice was difficult.

"Or perhaps Kurama wants nee-san to remain in the know and get some information from her."

He turned to Yusuke, who had his arms crossed along his chest, his eyebrows furrowed in serious thought.

_What was Kurama honestly thinking?_

○—○

Kurama had little sleep that night after going back from the Makai. He had to show up at work in the late afternoon, calling Yusuke to tell him that he would see them at the hospital in the morning to discuss his findings before he went to his office. He then spent the early hours of the morning pondering over his conversation with Hiei and Yomi.

The creatures that had attacked the laboratory were the same creatures that showed up in the Makai at approximately the same hour. While little to no damage was inflicted on the Makai area involved, he could not say the same was the case with the biotechnological institute. The fire was extinguished faster that it did not spread over the nearby buildings, and the casualty count was no greater than ten.

Still, whoever had the power to send concurrent attacks at both worlds must have a broad range of influence, and after speaking of his hypothesis to his colleagues, he was more than sure that the enemy had wanted them to understand the scope of his power.

When he was roused from his sleep at half past five in the morning with the sound of his front door opening, he threw a housecoat over his shirt and pajama bottoms before gingerly descending the stairs and making his way to the kitchen where the noise of ruffling polythene bags came from, his seeds at the ready in case an enemy had broken into his house.

He was relieved when he caught a glimpse of his mother who was pulling a wooden lunch box from a plastic shopping bag and setting it on the dining table. When she finally looked up to see him standing at the bottom landing of the stairs, she smiled and greeted him good morning.

"Good morning, Mom. You scared me for a moment there," he said, moving to take the seat at the table opposite the one she claimed.

She chuckled lightly and said, "Sorry, Shuichi dear. I thought I'll surprise you by dropping some breakfast. I wasn't expecting you to be awake already, though."

Kurama inclined his head good-naturedly, suddenly guilty for having killed the surprise his mother pulled once again. Shiori had done this plenty of times already, and he never failed to catch her and ruin the plan. "Sorry for being a spoilsport again, Mom. You know how light a sleep I am," he said sincerely.

"Don't be, son. Now, do you have to go to bed again? You look like you need some more sleep. Sorry I had to wake you." She reached out with her scarred hand to play with his hair.

He smiled at the kind gesture she never had the mind to let go even at his age, although the sight of the scars had his chest grow a stitch. "No, Mom. I was planning to be up early anyway."

"Really?" she said distractedly, opening the lunch box to reveal rice balls and gyoza. "You're not bound for work till nine, are you?"

He received and thanked her for the proffered chopsticks and took a piece of the dumplings he dipped in her homemade sauce while his mother poured him a cup of tea from the thermos she brought with her. "No, I'm not. I need to go visit an acquaintance who was hospitalized yesterday."

His mother covered her mouth in empathic shock. "How unfortunate. What happened?"

"The laboratory she's working at caught fire." He took his first bite of the rice ball and was unable to smile even with how delicious it was because of the current subject at hand.

"Oh, I think I was able to catch that story from the evening news," Shiori said, looking contemplatively at the bottom of her teacup, a gesture that vaguely reminded Kurama of Genkai. "What are you planning to bring her, son?"

Kurama slapped himself mentally, forgetting that he had to bring something to comfort the sick professor. Even though they had started rough, he was sure he could do to gain another friend in the person of Geneva. Besides, he still supported the idea of letting her in on the secret and obtaining information from her. The next move would solely depend on Yusuke and Kuwabara, and with what little that he knew about the professor, it would be difficult to convince her to forget about the incident and the possible secrets that they could spill to earn a word from her.

"Well, if you haven't thought of any, I guess flowers would make her feel better."

Although he gave his mother credit for such an idea, he thought giving flowers to a woman who supposed that he thought she liked him would only appear presumptive. But if he were to think about it, giving her a species that bore the appropriate message would make it less awkward.

Besides, he should not be troubling himself over a simple act of giving a get-well-soon present to a sick person. The less he felt affected, the less people would presume.

"I'll see what I can give her, Mom."

* * *

A/N:

Translations of Filipino sentences:  
_"Salamat." - Thanks._  
_"Dito lang ako, tulog ka na." - I'm right here, go to sleep._ (Kuwabara's sentence was actually a bit awkward sounding, but... yeah, it's not his first language, and he didn't receive formal lessons in Filipino. Geneva tutored him in his college courses, not in language.)

Yeah I know, it's probably far-fetched for our resident Knight in Orange Mane to learn another language on top of English. But nope, I think he's capable of that since he's the most persistent and determined person in the group. Oh, Kuwabara, how I adore you.

So, how is the story? The trouble's started. I'm sorry I had to keep everyone waiting but I needed to set things up before I got into writing the mystery/action part of the fic. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I kind of struggled to write Kuwabara and Yusuke, but I think they're waaaay easier to deal with than Kurama and Geneva. The two best buds are just, ultimately, easy-going although I wanted them to appear more mature and self-aware than when they were younger (heck, they're 26 in this story!), while the two intellectuals are so difficult to write my head started throbbing by the end of Geneva's POV. But of course, that's the point of writing, right? Improve, improve, improve, write, write, write. :) And thank you for all the reviewers and those who fave'd and added this to their alert lists.

Questions? Reactions? Please do review! That will be very, very lovely.

See you next time! :)


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets

Disclaimer: All fandom-based and real-life entities mentioned in this piece do not belong to me, with the exception of original characters. The cover image of this fan fiction was made from images found on the Web, and credit goes to the rightful owners, the image links on my profile page.

Rated T for themes and violence.

* * *

**The Science of the Inexplicable**

by four-eyed 0-0

Chapter 4: Secrets

It had been almost an hour since she woke from her deep slumber, finding Yusuke and Kazuma snoring loudly from the positions they had taken on the small couch pushed against the wall of the small hospital room. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she gazed at them warmly, breathing deeply through the tube fastened into her nostrils. Her lungs still felt a little enervated, and from all the smoke she was forced to inhale in the unventilated building, she was surprised to still be alive.

She had a few questions for the two friends, and she stared up the ceiling as she attempted sorting out her thoughts.

Not too long after, the sound of gentle knocking on the door before it opened pulled her from her reverie and roused the two young men on the couch. She weakly reached up for her battered glasses sitting on her bedside table, frowning at the sight of one broken lens before putting them on to see that the previously blurred blotch of red was unmistakably Kurama who was now standing by the couch, a small smile on his face.

"How are you, Mabasa-sensei?" he asked, rounding the foot of her bed to place a small, potted plant on her table. The scent of the white jasmine flowers reached her and despite her confusion at the very kind gesture—and his choice of giving the plant on a _pot_—, she allowed herself a small smile.

"I feel better, Kurama-san. Thank you for asking and for the flowers."

The redhead took the seat by the table, taking off his coat and folding it against his lap. If Geneva were to read deeply into this action of his, she would have to convince herself that the flowers held more meaning. White jasmine was supposed to bear the message of amiability, and if she were correct, then Kurama must have wished for her to know that he sought her friendship.

A grunt distracted her from musing.

"Seriously, Kurama, are you trying to hit on nee-san?" said Yusuke with a yawn, his hands stretched over his head.

"Yusuke-kun, it is a kind gesture to give flowers to the sick," Geneva said automatically, her voice too small for the authority to be heard in it. "Moreover, white jasmines mean friendliness."

She was sure a cutting remark was at the tip of Yusuke's tongue but Kazuma decided to change the subject, for which she was grateful. "Nee-san, are you hungry?" he asked, standing to walk over to the foot of her bed.

Helplessly clearing her throat from its being scratchy, she replied, "Hmm, yes, I believe I need some food."

The orange-haired boy levered the built-in table attached to the bed then helped her get up into a sitting position. He reached for the wrapped food at the table, the one which Keiko had dropped off an hour ago before she headed to school, and set it on the tabletop, taking out her spoon.

"Would you like an apple?" he asked her after she had her first sip of the warm miso soup. She nodded her assent, and Kazuma started peeling one for her.

"Have you eaten, boys?" she asked the room at large.

Kurama nodded while Yusuke said, "Not yet, we'll have some of the food Keiko brought after Kuwabara finishes with your apple."

Then the two best friends set to take their share of the soup, and once the three of them were all eating, Kurama decided to speak.

"Excuse me if I had to discuss this with you over food, Mabasa-sensei, but I came here to ask a few questions regarding the incident yesterday," he said, one leg crossed over the other in a very dignified manner. His sitting appealed very much to Geneva, and she had to brush the thought off before she drifted from the focus of the conversation.

Besides, Geneva had been decided to open up the topic after her meal if none of them would and she was relieved that she would not need to do so.

"I do have some questions for you three. But where do I begin?" she asked after swallowing the bite of apple she took.

"How about the events before and during the attack, before you collapsed?" the redhead said, inclining his head.

The professor nodded and launched on the narrative of one of the worse days—if not the _worst_—of her life, pausing to chew and swallow every once in a while. She had been itching to tell everyone what had happened, thinking that somehow it would ease her out of the possible trauma that she had acquired.

She recalled conducting preliminary tests and inventory of new equipment when the wall of the room she was working at burst in a shower of debris and glassware. The fire from the adjacent stockroom for chemical reagents easily caught on with the inside of the room where she was, and in her haste to run to safety, she almost overlooked the fact that one of her trainees was inside the burning stockroom if not for the husky calling of her name that she heard.

Before she could even stop herself, she wrapped her laboratory coat around her more tightly and dashed to see the fallen girl trapped under a broken-down working table. The fire alarm and sprinklers finally activated and as with much effort, she was able to haul the girl out, moments only after her coat caught fire and the smell of burning hair reached her. She had to roll over the floor to extinguish the fire once they were out into the safety of the hallway.

What baffled her the most, as she and her apprentice ran for the stairs, was that creatures she only imagined to ever exist in the depths of human imagination started to swarm from the inside of the burning stockroom seconds after they heard glass shattering, which she assumed came from the windows. They ran for the exit stairs before they were discovered, bumping against other employees and almost getting tramped on from the commotion.

When they reached the lobby it was to find out that both exit and entrance were blocked, and she and her junior were too weak to run anywhere else. Before she could make up her mind, her sight grew dim and the next thing she knew she was jolted out of her faint, Kazuma holding her.

Geneva finished her speech and looked at the three men in her room. "I am not sure why, but to me you three seem too calm for people who are supposed to have never encountered such peculiar creatures," she observed aloud, trying to read their reactions which proved futile.

"Mabasa-sensei, thank you for relaying your experience to us," said Kurama who folded his arms over his chest. "I guess at this point I'm obligated to at least disclose this piece of information: I modified the other survivors' and witnesses' memories so that they wouldn't recall the creatures that appeared in the laboratory."

The professor's mouth fell open, and she struggled for words. A hocus-pocus? "You did what?" she interjected, her head suddenly throbbing. "Are you trying to say you have mystical powers, Kurama-san?" She had caught wind of tales of the supernatural years back, but she was too focused on her studies to even spare the seemingly absurd idea of demons co-existing with humans in perfect harmony her time.

The redhead's next words seemed too steady for Geneva's liking, and a chill slid down her spine. "Yes, you can say that." He turned to the two friends sharing the couch, and addressed them. "I take it you understand why I chose not to tamper with Mabasa-sensei's memories, Yusuke, Kuwabara-kun?"

A fear similar to what she had felt yesterday rose from her chest, and Geneva wasn't able to help herself from speaking when she was starting to grow panicky. "Excuse me, but how are you involved in this incident?" she said, her voice growing even smaller at the sudden upshot of its pitch.

Yusuke sighed, one which she had come to liken to resignation. "I guess I have no choice. Nee-san, I'll tell you a very guarded secret, and you'll have the choice whether to accept it or not."

She was even more confused at the turn of the conversation. "What do you mean?"

"Wait, Yusuke, are you sure?" Kazuma said, green at the gills.

Yusuke clenched his hands into fists and started, "I, Kurama, and Kuwabara work for the Reikai, the Spirit World. I was made the Reikai Tantei from when I was first resurrected from the dead when I was fourteen."—("You have been dead?" Geneva exclaimed, growing ever dizzier at the moment.)—"I came across Kurama, who is actually a youkai who claimed the body of the unborn human Shuichi to escape from a hunter from the Makai, the Demon World, and to heal himself. He stole an artifact that granted a person's wish in exchange for their life and used it for his mother's fast recovery. Fortunately, I made an impulsive decision of asking for the Mirror of Darkness to take my life instead, an act that didn't take anyone's life out of the act's sheer goodness, but still granted Kurama's wish.

"Kuwabara and I competed to be the successor and heir to the powers of Master Genkai, bless her soul, and I won. From that point on, the three of us and a youkai named Hiei, Kurama's accomplice who stole another artifact that turns any human into a demon, have started to work for Koenma, the Prince of the Reikai. Kurama and Hiei had done so as atonement for their crimes.

"We've fought several demons and humans on different occasions, and on one battle I was able to discover my demonic ancestry, and hence being part demon. Presently, we're still working under the radar, but never needed to tell anyone of our secret up to this point."

When Yusuke had finished and turned to her, she swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to take in all of what she had just heard. They had told her all these for a reason, and she needed to know why.

"Why… why are you telling me all of this?" she said in the same weak, scratchy voice.

"Because as our friend, we thought it'd be your right to know and to choose whether you'd want to remember or not."

She turned to Kazuma who looked solemnly at her. Perhaps they had expected her to see them in a different light now, but when she looked at the three of them, nothing had changed. Yusuke was still the former delinquent youth who turned out to be one of the best cooks and the most loving man she had the luck to know. Kazuma was still the thoughtful, righteous, and ambitious young man who was glad to receive instructions from her whenever she could, the young man who always pursued excellence in everything he did, in everything he set out to do. And Kurama, even though she had only known him briefly, from the account she heard from Yusuke, somewhere in her head she was a little more convinced that he was just as good-natured as the two people on the couch, may he be a demon or human… or thief.

She had seen more evil, worse, even.

But she had to admit, his stealing a fetus' life was harsh and rather selfish, a self-preserving act compromising the life of another…

But she was surrounded with wonderful men, three men who were willing to risk everything they had to protect and make happy the persons that they valued the most. She had come to accept the reasons for Yusuke's and Kuwabara's constant pursuance of gaining superior strength from when they were younger and more so now that it was made known to her they worked for the maintenance of peace for all of three worlds. How could she not accept them? How could _they_ even think that?

She was surrounded with wonderful people. She still had questions, but for now, she was sure she would not want to cut ties with the greater part of them.

"What are you troubling yourselves for? I have known you for as long as I have been here in Japan. You have been my friends for so long. Do you doubt my better judgment?" she said, smiling broadly after a very long silence. "I will accept you not for what but for who you are. You are all so wonderful and I believe you do not have to erase my recollection of what happened. Now that I know how you are all involved in this, I am convinced that I should aid you in any way possible. At least allow me to help you. I can only do as much after you have entrusted to me your secret."

"You're not afraid, nee-san?" Kazuma said, surprised.

She shook her head, pleased. "No, I am not. How can I be? I have you with me, and I know I can always trust in you."

A moment of silence dawned on the four of them and was only broken when Kurama decided to speak.

"Do you understand where this puts you, Mabasa-sensei?" he asked, his tone guarded.

She cleared her throat again and turned to him. "No. Would you mind telling me?"

"As I'm pretty sure Yusuke and Kuwabara wouldn't want you to be in more danger, we must ask you to make a promise."

He paused, giving her time to answer. If she were to guess from their behavior, it would be that she stayed out of everything that had transpired and out of the whole business for good. It was not fair, and she would hate to do just that when signs that her curiosity was already gnawing on her were pumping in her system. She could not possibly promise that.

Kurama must have taken her silence as agreement for he continued, or he must have wanted to impress upon her the gravity and urgency of the situation, "You will not try to uncover anything about the attack. In short, you will stay away from anything regarding our investigation and will guard this secret, never disclosing it to anyone."

She was not able to help her hand from reaching for her face, feeling very heavy and ill. This is so unjust. To deprive her of useful information about what happened… it was equivalent to denying her to grow. After everything that she had done for the love of knowledge, to stay enlightened to the workings of the world, this was suicide.

"Nee-san?" said Kazuma, jerking her back to damnable reality.

She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. "I promise."

No two words had ever tasted so bitter inside her mouth. Those two words made up an obvious lie.

She sat up straighter and looked at Kurama. "I promise to do as you require."

She smiled. It was the fakest smile she had to give anyone of late.

○—○

Kuwabara was not convinced, and he could say the same for the two other men in the room. He was surprised to see the professor so blatantly lying when it didn't become her. Geneva-nee was a curious intellectual, and he could tell that it killed her when Kurama voiced out his proposition. If she would lie to them then it meant they couldn't stop her in any way. She liked her independence and no one could dictate to her what to do, and when she obsessed with something, she became easily immersed in it, not bothering with anyone.

If he was correct, then it would mean she'd investigate herself.

He didn't know what to do or what to say. If they confronted her, she would likely explode and hate them for it like the terrorizing professor she was when it came to the students she called imbeciles. And even if they kept silent and pretend they believed her lie, she would still go out of her way to understand the situation.

Three knocks on the door and it opened, offering a distraction to the tension that seemed to be dancing in the air of the room. In came two _gaijin_ women he'd seen on several occasions, and he automatically rose to his feet to bow to them.

"Good morning, Kuwabara-kun, Urameshi-kun," Halley-sensei and O'Connor-sensei said before dropping their bags and package on the floor next to Geneva-nee's bed, taking her in their arms.

"_Hilda, Liz, what a lovely surprise!"_ the bespectacled professor said in English when they released her. _"Aren't you two bound for work?"_

The brown-haired American sensei patted Geneva-nee's head and waved a finger in front of her. _"What do you take us for? We were worried sick when we heard from the news. What are you doing, getting all banged up in an accident, Genny?" _she said, making Kuwabara's head spin a little at her rapid English. He remembered the first time they met the two friends of Geneva-nee and couldn't understand a single word whenever the three of them decided to speak in the then alien language. He sure had learned a lot.

"_Indeed! And what were you thinking when you tried to save that junior of yours? Did you honestly believe you're a superwoman? You could've gotten yourself killed, for heaven's sake!" _the blonde British professor said in the thick, royal-sounding accent, aggravated.

The littlest of the three seemed to recoil as her taller friends lashed out at her, but when they finally paused to allow her to speak and glower at them, she didn't seem shaken. _"Excuse me if I had to come out as a heroine! I couldn't leave that child alone. You, of all people, should know how hard this is for me."_

Kuwabara watched as the two women deflated a little and crossed their arms in almost perfect synchrony.

"_But really, I can't believe my luck. When the people behind laboratory safety had devised the code requiring the use of the lab coat and keeping one's hair out of the way, they must've been deathly serious. My hair will have to be cut and oh, this is a travesty,"_ Geneva-nee said in a tone that became higher and higher in pitch, reaching for her unkempt locks. It was the first time that Kuwabara ever saw her hair not tied or fixed in a bun. It had even awed him when he first caught sight of her waist-length her in a ponytail, wondering how she could take care of hair _that_ long.

He couldn't even understand how she could be more saddened by her hair's state than her body's.

Yusuke decided to speak, laughing at the professor's obvious distress. "What's the big deal, nee-san? You're alive and just going to cut your hair, end of story."

This prompted a glare to be directed to the boy sitting next to him, and Geneva-nee said in a snarl, "I have more gray hair than you can count, Yusuke-kun. I do not wish to have them standing out."

"Then dye them?" Kuwabara said hopefully.

The glare shifted to him and he realized the hair talk was a very sensitive topic to broach. "That will cause more damage to my hair."

"There, there, Genny," said O'Connor-sensei, also shifting to Japanese for the sake of the audience, Kuwabara supposed. "It will be all right. Although your previously waist-length hair could have made a very nice prop for your white lady costume, we can always have you wear a wig."

The professor on the bed reddened and waved her hands about in protest. "I already made it clear that I am not going to be the white lady. Can you not torture me further?"

He couldn't help himself. He started laughing and Yusuke joined in. A suppressed chuckle at the opposite side of the room alerted them that Kurama was still with them, and the two newly-arrived professors turned to the redhead, for the first time noticing his presence.

O'Connor-sensei clapped her hands excitedly. _"What's this, Genny? You have a boyfriend?"_

"_Don't be silly, Liz. He's an _acquaintance_, a friend of those two on the couch," _said Geneva-nee, and the two professors gasped, as though realizing something. Weird. "Anyway, Liz, Hilda, I want you to meet Shuichi Minamino," she said, gesturing to the redhead who calmly rose to his feet, extending a hand. Kuwabara released a breath, relieved that Geneva-nee made sure to use Kurama's human name.

The American professor shook Kurama's hand. "It's Liz O'Connor."

"Hilda Halley," said the other professor.

"It's nice to meet you," said Kurama, smiling. "I think we'll leave you ladies alone. I still need to have a word with Yusuke and Kuwabara-kun."

Taking this as a command of sorts, the two best friends rose from the couch, excusing themselves and following the redhead who wished the sick professor well before exiting through the door. They headed for the fire exit stairs for good measure and Kurama, who'd leaned on the wall opposite the steps Yusuke and Kuwabara sat on, spoke. "What do you think she's going to do?"

The two looked at each other before Yusuke sighed, running a tired hand on his hair. "I'm pretty sure she lied, at least with the staying out of the whole mess. Our secrets are safe with her; she wouldn't want to put us into trouble. That'll have to mean she's going to investigate on her own, though."

"Yeah, I agree with Yusuke. She's too curious, and she never like it to be kept in the dark especially when she's already involved," said the carrot-top boy, cradling his head in his hand.

"Do you know why I didn't tamper with her memory?" asked Kurama with an edge to his voice.

"We thought it's because you wanted us to decide. Or let her decide," he said, looking at the kitsune. He still didn't know why, and after what happened with the conversation back in the hospital room, he was even more confused.

Yusuke crossed his arms, frowning. "Or you wanted to get some info from her first."

"I did want to obtain information from her, and you're correct to think that I wanted you to decide. Still, her opinion on the subject matters most, and after seeing that she accepted our secrets, I guess it's safe to say that she won't tell anyone, even her two female friends." He looked at them, pocketing his hands into his coat. "There are other reasons why I chose not to modify her memory, though."

"Such as?" said Yusuke, a little impatient at the redhead's try at suspense.

Kurama raised an eyebrow at Yusuke's snappish attitude. He quickly recovered, and began, "First, as she's a friend of yours, she'll have to know eventually of your secrets. If I erase her recollection of the attack, would I have to do the same the next time something of this caliber happens? Second, the attack in the Ningenkai happened in a laboratory, which specializes on the biological sciences; why would the enemy strike at such a place? If I were to rely on my guess, I think there's a hidden message in the attack, and that means the people working in the laboratory could have a connection to the incident."

"What are you saying, Kurama? That nee-san's a _suspect_?" Kuwabara said in a hiss, almost forgetting the unspoken rule of not to yell.

Kurama kept his calm. "No, Kuwabara-kun. She's not a suspect and I'm certain about that. Her account speaks volumes, and it exonerated her for sure."

"Good to hear," said Yusuke, nodding his head. "I agree. I didn't think we can avoid telling nee-san about our job anymore. After all, she has the right to know as a friend. That said… Kurama, how about the attack in the Makai?"

"When I spoke to Hiei and Yomi, I found out that the attack happened in a village in Alaric. Aside from the fact that it happened around the same time that the laboratory was assaulted and that same creatures were found in the scene, we couldn't find anything else that could connect the two. Which is why I don't feel too confident about my hunch. The two incidents could easily be dismissed as random attacks."

"But knowing you, you won't have a hunch without reason," Yusuke said, pointing it out, which Kuwabara agreed to, grunting.

Kurama smiled a little. "Yes, that's correct. Anyway, did you notice the creatures' appearances?"

The carrot-top boy nodded, knitting his eyebrows. "They're something I've never seen before, not even when I fought with you guys in the Dark Martial Arts Tournament."

"Yeah, they look like weird human and demon mutants."

"Precisely. They're human in physique with oversized heads and almost human intelligence, these we found out from fighting them. They possess considerable strength and they have youki. We could've lost if there were too many of them."

Kuwabara scratched his head, disbelieving how something like this could happen when there had been a gentleman's agreement after Enki won for the second time in the Makai Tournament that no further harm would be done to humans. Ever since then, the two worlds had lived in almost perfect peace.

A thought occurred to him… an unnerving, outrageous thought. "Could it mean that they're harming humans?" he said, fear creeping as a shiver down his spine.

"I don't know, and we'll have to find out. The Reikai would have gotten wind of missing humans if that's the case and seeing that this attack has come out as a surprise, then it probably isn't."

Silence.

"Since they're humanoid, I think humans could also be responsible for their creation. The enemies should be knowledgeable of human on top of youkai biology," Kurama said, frowning himself. "Whoever's behind this must be highly intelligent. Or they could be two or more people working together, human and demon, for which reason I think that indeed a human, or a scientist, working in the laboratory or any laboratory could be involved."

"You're saying there's a conspiracy behind this?" said Yusuke. "But why?"

"I'm not saying anything for certain and I have no idea what their reasons are. But for the meantime, that's all I can tell you, a hypothesis. I'm planning to speak to Koenma about the results of their examination of the creatures, and I'll get back to you once I find out. For now I think you should keep watch for Mabasa-sensei. Don't let slip anything I told you and don't answer questions from her regarding the case," the redhead said, sighing. "But from what you told me, I guess she'd certainly opt to find other means of obtaining information."

"Is it really wise to tell her what she should do? She's stubborn and can only get into serious trouble if she's able to find out more than necessary," Kuwabara said, unsure of where he stood. He wanted to keep Geneva-nee safe, but whether they kept her out of it or not, she could still get hurt one way or another.

"He's got a point, Kurama," said Yusuke.

"She can get into trouble _if_ she is able to find anything. From the look of things, it would be impossible for her to find any information. Unless my suspicion of the laboratory's involvement holds true, that is. If that were the case, then it could mean she's already in danger."

Kuwabara turned to Yusuke whose hands gripped the fabric of his pants, the knuckles white.

* * *

A/N: The story has finally taken the road to mystery! I told you the two chapters were for setting things up. :) And don't you worry, you'll get to hear more of the boys narrating. I owe that much to them, as this is a piece written about them and not entirely about Geneva. There'd be no Hiei POV in here though, I'm sorry if that will disappoint.

I have a question: what do you think of the writing I do for the boys?

I've been writing profusely before I'm tied down with schoolwork this new school year and now I'm almost finished with the eleventh chapter! Yay! I'm glad to see the story taking shape and things are sailing smoothly according to my messy notes. A matter of curiosity, however, is how the chapters were getting shorter and shorter (but not alarmingly short!) and that things are getting darker and darker (I think a change of rating will be due when I get there.). Guess I couldn't really measure a chapter's sense of completion in a fixed word count and that having no outline and discovering things as I write influence the story very drastically.

Anyway, yeah, I hope you've enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review! :)))

Till next time!


	5. Chapter 5: Call

Disclaimer: All fandom-based and real-life entities mentioned in this piece do not belong to me, with the exception of original characters. The cover image of this fan fiction was made from images found on the Web, and credit goes to the rightful owners, the image links on my profile page.

Rated T for themes and violence.

* * *

**The Science of the Inexplicable**

by four-eyed 0-0

Chapter 5: Call

"Treat the Human World with respect."

Ten years ago he had sworn such a law would not hold him down for his ambitions. For almost half his life he had been studying the workings of the human and demon body, taking his guinea pigs in the most secluded places in the world he was born into to dissect and tinkle, taking satisfaction from each piece of knowledge he gained, no matter how small a piece it was.

And he wasn't about to stop just because a silly tournament decided on a winner who could implement nonsensical and impracticable "laws" in their world. The Demon World was nothing if not governed by strength and power. It was most certainly not a world governed by laws.

The prospect of his knowledge growing even broader was not something he could abandon and send to the most hidden crevices of his mind and he had almost given up on his research when for countless times, the low class demons that he was ever able to catch and make his experimental subjects proved none of his efforts fruitful.

But his former life always provided inspiration, and he would never be able to attain redemption if he were to stop.

And so he sought to be stronger. Being stronger meant he could catch more powerful demons if he could defeat them. But alas! He was never able to become more powerful, and he was only wasting precious time he could deploy for his studies.

Luck was probably on his side when one night as he was despairing over his failure, a demon reeking of so much power had wandered into his dwelling cum laboratory, claiming to have recently lost his source of income due to the law their wretched king had imposed. The vagabond was much stronger than him, and he offered a reasonable sum for his services. The demon had agreed, thinking it advantageous that while he earned, he could train to become even stronger.

Hence began the most productive years of his life. He achieved more for a few years than he had for decades, and he was more than satisfied with his findings. The era of understanding the likeness of the demon and human bodies had finally dawned on him, and he was equipped with such knowledge that could result to the supremacy of the more adaptive creatures once they were able to vanquish both demon and human species. Of course this was still on the works, a dream he had to strive to make reality just yet.

_All in good time._

And now that the first of his creations—the weakest forms he and his colleagues had developed—had gone out into the open, he could see their success. Both worlds knew of the existence of such crosses and they had yet to figure out from where the mutants had come from… _who_ had created them. This satisfaction of course they wouldn't let them have.

Smirking to himself, he reached for the device he used to contact one of his most trusted aides from the other world. Half a decade into the beginning of the more prosperous years of his study, he had given thought to having someone from the other side sharing the same vision as him as a close ally. Not only did he find someone who could become his second, but he found someone who could stand as his partner, someone who had deep knowledge he could use and unending curiosity to feed, a willingness to understand and learn more, if heterodox, ideas.

"_Ichi-san, to what do I owe this call?"_

"I was wondering if the next course of action is underway, Ni-san."

"_Yes. He has done as we wanted."_

Pleased, the demon took a drag from his pipe, watching as the cloud of smoke he breathed out mingled with the bone-rattling breeze of the Makai, disappearing into the night.

"That's nice to hear."

○—○

The psychic sporting a vibrant mane of orange shook off his coat as he let himself into the warmer diner, a little sore from the chill that the late autumn breeze brought as winter was around the corner. As he entered with the familiar tinkle of the bell overhead, he found one of the seats on the counter occupied by a woman he didn't recognize, until she turned to him, smiling.

"_Geneva nee-san?"_ he said, rooted to the spot.

The professor ran a hand along her nape, the spot where her bun usually sat on. No such elegant knot was present today, and her tresses that once scared the living daylights out of him for their sheer length when the pale woman sometimes let them down, reminding him of a lady ghost were now cut pixie short.

Although the change was to be expected, he hadn't thought that she would cut them _this_ short, not when she had whined about having to get rid of her coveted locks after years of never cutting them. She had told them about hair getting pissed when a woman grows them and suddenly cuts them more than a foot short. Said it was some superstition from her homeland.

Three words: _What the hell?_

"Aye, Kazuma-kun, it is me," said Geneva-nee, a smirk playing on her lips. "Come and take a seat."

Kuwabara snapped out of his trance and did as she said, taking the chair next to hers. He looked at her once more, trying to take in her appearance, which, much to his surprise was better.

"It suits you, nee-san. You look younger, actually," he said, staring at her with a fascination that seemed foreign to him. He was so used to seeing her hair in nothing but a bun that she seemed a new person with the look she donned on. He dimly noted the new eyeglasses she wore, pleased that she had abandoned the circular and chose rectangular lenses.

"Do you really think so?" she said, absentmindedly rubbing on her nape again as a shadow of irritation flashed across her face. "Liz and Hilda forced me to come with them to a salon after I was discharged. The hairstylist took my word to heart when I said in dejection that he could do as he pleased. Why, I did not expect that he would not catch the sarcasm."

Yusuke chortled as he continued cooking. "But hey, it's a nice change, isn't it? At least now you wouldn't look older than you are. Those owlish glasses and eternal buns definitely chase people away. Not to mention the insanely long hair you had drives us nuts when you let it down."

"Are you not a dear, Yusuke-kun?" the professor said, a vein throbbing at her temple, Kuwabara noted.

"Aren't I, nee-san?"

Geneva-nee released a sigh, downing the last of her tea. "Well, you have not seen the last of me with long tresses, gentlemen. I am playing the white lady for this year's foundation week opening and I will be wearing a wig. And for that matter..." She trailed off, busy fishing out a manila folder from her briefcase. Her long, slender fingers slipped inside and pulled out what were undeniably tickets, brandishing them to the two.

"I thought you wouldn't let your friends pick you for white lady," said Kuwabara. The power the two Western women had over the smaller professor wasn't lost to him, and he found it amusing that although she could meet them word for word, she couldn't just resist when they were set.

"It happened, Kazuma. You know how those two could get so strident when they want to," she said, all if not aggravated. "We were tasked to trade a bundle of these tickets and I am giving you some for free. Bring whoever you want to. There will be exhibits and symposia, and for the first time in history, the opening ceremony will showcase the department members fooling around with presentations," she said, not sounding very thrilled.

"Why are you inviting us to this, nee-san?" asked Yusuke, honestly curious. The professor had never tried to invite them again to the foundation week of their department at Todai since four years ago when she failed to convince them with a speech about the amazing world of science and the learning they would have from the exhibits, which granted them the right to know why she was doing it again, even going out of her way by bribing them with tickets while she was at it.

Sighing, Geneva-nee handed them three tickets apiece and said, "I know you would like to see me in my costume and number."

The two men laughed, and Kuwabara said, "Are you going to dance, nee-san?"

"I will not tell you; that will undeniably spoil the surprise," she said in reply, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, as my assignment is done, I better take my leave now. I still have some things to attend to, being in charge of the celebration. I think you know how seniors are to their juniors."

When the two of them only laughed again, she slipped into her coat and wrapped her scarf around her neck twice, tucking her chin into the material, a desperate measure to make sure that she stayed warm.

"It is starting to get chillier, is it not?" she said, briefly embracing Kuwabara and clapping a hand on Yusuke's shoulder. "Good afternoon, gentlemen."

They watched as the professor pushed the door open and disappeared outside, exposed to the brisk autumn afternoon breeze.

"Hey," said Kuwabara, reading the details on the ticket. "She gave us _six_ tickets…"

Yusuke chuckled, catching on his friend's train of thought. "I, you, Keiko, Yukina, Shizuru… I think by 'whoever' she was hinting on Kurama?"

The professor could be a real pain when she wanted to. "Weird. They got off on the wrong foot and now she's treating him with a ticket to an opening."

"Maybe it's in exchange for the flowers?" Yusuke said, hopeful.

Kuwabara scrunched up his face, considering the situation. "Well, she could've just said so, you know, or invited him herself. He's coming anyway. Why was she so cryptic and difficult about it?"

The tantei shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. With nee-san, you can't really tell."

But he supposed he could. If this was Geneva-nee's way of indirectly thanking Kurama, then he could just humor her. The sensei wasn't someone who held grudges for far too long, and she would replace kindness for something of equal value, if quite different in form. Sometimes he was convinced it was all because she didn't want to become indebted to anyone. She was proud that way.

"The lab division that was blown up won't function anytime soon," said Yusuke, disrupting him from his reverie.

"It's closed down? Then that means she'll be unemployed—no, she can still teach," he said, somewhat relieved. "But it's nee-san. She's definitely going to find another lab to work at."

"Yeah, she told me she's applying for another, one at Todai. Said it's more advantageous."

Kuwabara nodded, turning serious as another thought crossed him. "Speaking of jobs, did she seem to be cooking up something?" He hated that he had to doubt their friend's intentions, but for the time being it was necessary to be constantly watching her.

"Nah, I don't think so…" said Yusuke, sounding none too confident with himself.

"Though again, with nee-san, you can't really tell."

"Damn true."

○—○

Geneva was devastated when she found out that she would not be able to return to work after the misfortune of their laboratory being the target of some elaborate ploy. Her career meant everything to her, and after spending nearly all her life educating herself, she was hurting over the hollow space in her chest.

But as she had claimed that she was a fighter, tough and cunning, she was able to come up with a brilliant idea as soon as she found out the news.

Her career as a scientist had not reached the end of the road, and she _would_ receive a post in the Cellular and Molecular Biosciences Institute at Tokyo Daigaku. She was nothing if not confident, and this had always gotten her through most of the challenges she was forced to face. Her requirements were still to be accomplished, and she would need to return to the laboratory that previously employed her for the processed certifications and endorsement. Although it was equal to a fresh, absolute start once she became a new member of the institute, she thought it fair enough, and viewed it as just another test.

Besides, the processing of her application would leave her plenty of time to ponder on the subject of the attack she suffered.

She lied to her friends, and she knew better than to think that they didn't notice. Even then, she would venture out on her own to find out more about demons. It was funny, how she dismissed the idea as irrelevant and an utter waste of time until it came and was slammed on her face—a glaring evidence that her life was changing, whether she liked it or not.

For that matter, this afternoon she sought the service of the National Diet Library for the continuation of her research. Her previous search for texts on the three worlds and on the creatures called youkai in the libraries of Todai did not shed much light on her questions, but she nonetheless enjoyed the entertainment and new information the reading gave. The Japanese lore was rich and colorful, and she never failed to appreciate a good read. In fact, yesterday, when she had finally looked up from the third tome she perused, her notes already a whooping twenty pages, it was nearly eight in the evening. She then had to return the finished books and leave the university, lest she wished to miss her train home.

The professor was on the brink of giving up on her search in the national facility when most of the titles she encountered were the same ones in the university, while the others, to her disappointment when she scanned the pages, did not contain information that was new to her. Straining her aching neck, one hand on the cold metal of the ladder for support, her purple fingers grazed over the spine of one particularly newer book at the top shelf she was currently raiding.

_The Biology of Youkai_, the gold letters engraved on the black leather spine read, shining almost ominously against the library's fluorescent lighting. With a jolt of inspiration, she pulled it out of the shelf and flitted through the pages, finding diagrams and illustrations scattered throughout in seas of text explaining the wonder that was the body of demons. Flipping back to the first pages, it was explained that this book was published in the year 2000, which had to mean that it was the most recent reading material that she had laid her hands on, not to mention that it could be the perfect reference that would answer most of her questions.

Geneva frowned when she realized that the author was unknown, and had half the heart to return it to its place as she believed the material might as well be rubbish.

_Perhaps it's self-published?_

But curiosity won her over, thinking that such a detailed book could not be published without a reason, and descended the steel ladder, taking up a seat on one of the empty reading tables where she deposited her non-valuable items.

She turned to the first chapter, jotting down points she deemed important on her notebook, and almost dropped her pen as she read through a passage that was most alarming:

_The science of youkai has been explored and understood to the point that many scientists have posed the question, "If some youkai can reach a level of form likened to humans, and thus rendering them capable of mating with them, would there be a point when more powerful forms could evolve to surpass the hanyou naturally bred from such relationship?"_

While she never knew what Yusuke was labeled up to this point, she found herself frozen by the sudden thought that crossed her. She couldn't understand why the prospect of "more powerful forms" needed mentioning in the text. Evolution had been a subject of debate throughout the years, even amongst scientists; it always took years—centuries—for life forms to evolve, and only recently had genetic engineering been accepted for the convenient and efficient creation of more useful products all for the improvement of human life previously limited to traditional biotechnological practices.

Although just a year ago, she had mostly endeavored on animal genetics and embryonic stem cell research…

She jumped slightly at the vibration the table seemed to give, realizing that it was from the mobile inside her purse that she had deposited on the table. Deftly reaching for the device inside, she found out that it was Hilda calling. She looked at her watch. It was almost five, and she still needed to come back to the university for an evening lecture.

Covering a yawn, she flipped her mobile open, speaking in English, "Hello, Hilda."

○—○

Kuwabara almost dropped his glass, blinking at Kurama's face.

"Are you saying that they're half-human and half-demon?" he said, not quite believing it.

The redhead inclined his head. He could understand why he was flustered. When he spoke earlier to Koenma, he couldn't quite comprehend it himself.

Yusuke snorted in disgust. "What's this crap? Did demons suddenly decide to up and run about making ugly children with humans?"

"As ridiculous as it sounds, yes, that might as well be the case," said Kurama, massaging his temple. He had easily doubted the idea, but as they stood, it was the only logical explanation to it. But it didn't mean they could accept it just as it was. There were many aspects and facets to a crime, and Kurama was not about to dismiss this case as plain onslaught of human-demon offspring. "Koenma said the creatures would undergo further examination and he'd fill us in once his team finds out more."

"Then could there be more of these hanyou?" asked Kuwabara, wearing a revolted look on his pale face.

Kurama hoped it was not the case and that the attack was the first and last, but from their experience, the foe had more plans more often than not. "I can't say anything for sure at this point, but it will be best if we assume so."

"Hmm… But what about the laboratory theory?" said Yusuke, snapping his fingers in a display warranting attention.

"I don't feel too confident about it now that we found out about the creatures being hanyou," Kurama said, somehow deflated that his hypothesis had turned into a mere assumption. "Half-breeds can always result from normal copulation, and for that purpose I don't think a laboratory is needed."

They all fell in silence, lost in their thoughts. Although Kurama was pretty much convinced that there was more to the creatures than what was found out, he decided it best to stay silent and do some private investigation before discussing it with the rest of the group to eliminate chances of error in future assumptions. That said, he still couldn't drop the "laboratory theory."

"Oh," said Kuwabara, rummaging in his coat and taking out a ticket that he pushed next to Kurama's glass. "It's for the foundation week of nee-san's department. She said we can bring anyone and I thought I'd give it to you."

"Why, thanks," he said, taking the piece of glossy paper printed with green and white. "This is such a surprise," he mused loudly.

Yusuke snorted and leaned over the counter. "We're actually only interested because she said they'll have this opening that, how did she put it, 'will showcase the department members fooling around with presentations.' That'll have to mean she's doing some fooling around herself."

"How easy of you to be convinced with that," Kurama said, smiling, silently grateful for the shifting of the conversation to a more positive direction. As much as he was opposed to the idea of finding amusement in the seemingly serious occasion for the professor, he was actually thrilled to see what Geneva had to show them.

"Apart from the free tickets, of course," said Yusuke, still grinning.

Kurama couldn't stop himself from asking, "How was she doing?"

"We don't think she's done anything just yet," said Kuwabara, catching up on what he was insinuating.

"Yup, she seemed pretty much herself when she dropped by earlier."

"Though with nee-san, you can't really tell."

The two friends exchanged looks and laughed, leaving Kurama to wonder.

* * *

A/N: Yippee! We finally get to hear from the bad guys!

Now, I think the few people who'd read the first chapter prior to my editing some of its details might find Geneva's target firm the same firm from the first chapter written on her ID card. I tweaked this detail before uploading the second chapter and made it her current department in Todai instead. So now, she's eyeing for CMBI. I was kind of lost when I first wrote this and now that the story's getting clearer and steering toward an actual direction, I had to adjust things. :) Her hair? Well, I think it's kind of symbolic. It's up for the readers to know and find out. Or you may ask me.

Thank you for those who review and add this to their faves and alert lists! You make my heart swell. I have one request though. Reviews, please? :) I really want to hear from you. Got questions about the genetics and biotech stuff? Ask away! Got something to correct me for? Please do leave a review. I'd really appreciate it.

Next chapter would be the opening of the foundation week! And of course, it wouldn't just be about that. :)

Stay tuned! Till next time!


	6. Chapter 6: Sing

Disclaimer: All fandom-based and real-life entities mentioned in this piece do not belong to me, with the exception of original characters. The cover image of this fan fiction was made from images found on the Web, and credit goes to the rightful owners, the image links on my profile page.

Rated T for themes and violence.

* * *

**The Science of the Inexplicable**

by four-eyed 0-0

Chapter 6: Sing

When Kurama rendezvoused at Ueno Station with Yusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, Shizuru and Yukina he was beat from a scheduled brunch meeting with one of the investors for the hotel business at the Ginza branch, and if it were not for the convenience that was the railways, he could have been running late for the opening.

As he was let off the train car and stumbled more graciously that some would into the platform, he easily spotted the five huddled in a small circle by the exit gates. The six of them decided to dress smart casual for the occasion, thinking it should be appropriate since they were going to _Todai_, of all places.

"Kurama, good for you to join us," Yusuke said to him, even before he could reach them.

He waved. "Sorry I kept you waiting. You could really have just gone first, though," he said, a little sheepishly.

"Skip the pleasantries, we have an opening to catch," said Kuwabara, smiling.

The six of them shuffled and got out of the station, deciding that they would take the university gate through Ueno Park. It would be a pleasant walk, especially this late in autumn, when the trees were burning red in the afternoon sun. This claim came from Kuwabara, of course, and not from Kurama who hated this time of the year most for the sole reason that plants are, plainly put, _dying._

The trail was indeed majestic, the type you would see in romance dramas on television, but the kitsune didn't like it one bit. He could feel the life draining from all the once rich greeneries, and soon they would sleep when winter came, which meant three months of lamenting on his part. If it weren't for the festivities and the fact that he kept plants inside his apartment, he would have sulked and sought the comfort of the greener part of the Makai.

By the time they reached the entrance to the university, it was twenty minutes to one. They regarded their tickets and looked up the department at the massive map by the gate, realizing it would take another ten-minute walk from their location. Their small group headed for the building while taking in their surroundings—wide, well-kept fields still a little green with grass even with the dying trees that flanked the ovals against a backdrop of towering, olden buildings. Kurama silently mused on how it would have felt if he were to walk these tracks on a daily basis had he gone to college. With his grades he could have gone to this prestigious university, but even then he couldn't afford to regret anything now.

It took them another five minutes to find the theater hall at the Graduate School of Science, dodging and avoiding running into the flock of people crowding at the exhibit displays along the long stretch of the hallway, and by the time that they had settled into their third row seats, the lights had gone out. The hall was packed with spectators—faculty, students, outsiders—and when the curtains opened after the host's customary words of welcome as the first few notes of music filled the room, Kuwabara whooped as Yusuke burst out laughing, both of which were drowned by the outburst from the crowd.

The people on the stage had donned on Halloween costumes, and a little off center, Kurama caught Geneva's white lady, only without her glasses. He helped himself from smiling at the comicality of the whole situation and the utter ingenuity of the theme as it was just a few days into the month of November.

The music took on a new piece as a piano accompaniment played, and to the surprise of their small group, the professor stepped up and raised a microphone, her pale, ghostly face painted with splotches of red, slightly veiled by the long, unruly locks of her hair.

Or was it a wig? He had heard her friends rattling about it back at the hospital…

The professor started singing, and Kuwabara slapped a hand on his knee, barely keeping himself from bursting into another round of laughter. Kurama could only watch, feeling some of the hair at the back of his neck prickle at the professor's voice.

_Mama, just killed a man  
Put a gun against his head  
Pulled my trigger now he's dead_

_Mama, life had just begun  
But now I've gone and thrown it all away_

The psychic sitting next to him froze, as the whole room had, apparently entranced by the voice. Kurama did not anticipate this, that she could have other talents, and as he could deduce from his friend's reactions, they did not know any better than he did. The English lyrics rolled off her tongue so easily, and when they reached his ears he could feel that this was something she loved apart from her scientific endeavors.

As if Geneva hadn't surprised them from her first note, they were taken aback when she started banging her head as the song reached the bridge, the other members singing along with her in practiced confidence, the strumming of electric guitars setting them on edge. She was the picture of a performer, a side to her that they were never able to imagine.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?  
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?_

When the last notes drifted away, Kuwabara and Yusuke said in perfect unison, "Wow."

The rest of the opening that lasted for about half an hour had the friends looking forward for more surprises, and by the time the lights were switched back on and the curtains were drawn closed, they were able to watch Geneva sing, dance, and act. Personally, Kurama preferred her singing, as she passed as only timid when she was doing anything but.

Their small group slowly filed out into the hallway where they stared at the displays of plants, animals, cell and tissue culture, genetically-modified food products… There were so much on the displays and so much to read about on the posters of research studies that he was easily lost among the arrays, not bothering to mask his fascination and awe at such advancements in science.

He lost his four companions in the crowd of on-lookers as he loitered about the posters, reading the titles and abstracts in equanimity until his eyes landed on one bearing Geneva's name under the title, affiliated with both the university department and the laboratory she previously worked at. Unsure whether he initially intended to find a study authored by her, he stood at the poster, reading the title again: _"Feasibility of Genetic Manipulation Therapy as Treatment of Phenylketonuria Diagnosed Early through Newborn Screening"_. It was published just this year, so it must be a relief that she was able to finish the study before the laboratory fiasco.

"_Genetic and acquired disorders have been the cause of the many deaths according to annual statistics, and with the objective of regulating this sheer number of patients and the possibility that offspring may carry defective genes, this study was conducted, delimited on newborns. Mice were used as subjects—"_

"How is it, Minamino-san?" said a voice, and he turned to see the professor coming toward him in her usual pantsuit, only that she wore a pixie haircut, a slightly curled fringe falling against the black frame of her rectangular glasses. The fire had apparently damaged her hair if it had to be cut _this_ short. He waited for her to stop two feet from him, and she smiled, her lips tainted a soft shade of red—another change that he was unable to ignore. She inclined her head, and he smiled back.

She turned to the poster and he copied her. "This is wonderful, Mabasa-sensei. I have never read this much into biological sciences and it's definitely new to me."

"Well if you would like it, you could always enroll in one of our courses," she said, chuckling a little.

He gave her a sidelong glance, meeting hers as she peered at him from above the lenses of her glasses. Laughing, he said, "Hmm, I'm rather busy."

"Yes, your stance is rather telling." She shifted her gaze on the poster once more and with her expression changing to something borderline to proud and dreamy, she said, "This one here took up most of my time as a doctoral student and junior member of the biotechnological firm I worked at. It always struck me as humbling that there is still so much to life than life itself, you see. And with science I was able to find what I really want to do for the rest of my years. This one here is just the start. It warrants further investigation, but I hope soon enough I would see its fruition, humanity benefitting on the discoveries."

She blinked and looked down at her toes, before looking up at him. "Sorry, that was probably a little too dramatic, prattling away with such sentiments. I hope I did not leave too much of an impression."

Kurama waved both his hands in front of him, brushing her apology away. "No, you didn't. I perfectly understand your passion," he said, smiling. Confiding in him such information that crossed as very personal left him a little overwhelmed, wondering about the sudden change of attitude. "I was once caught up in biology when I was in high school. If I wasn't offered an occupation after I graduated, I would've probably signed up for the program in college."

If it was possible at this point, he could tell the professor was able to flash him a genuine smile, her eyes twinkling. "Really?" she said, a happy note in her voice. "I had taken up biology for my undergraduate studies. What field were you most inclined to?"

"Botany, I guess. Plants are highly appealing."

"Oh, I can understand that. I used to have a professor who was literally married to plants. He would always gasp and fawn at the sight of peculiar species we are able to find during fieldwork." She shook her head, laughing at the memory.

"Although I don't exactly do that, I'll say it's a close interpretation," he said, lying a bit. He wasn't exactly that enthusiastic with plants, as he had always thought of them as weapons he could use to protect and to acquire. Of course his more human side had grown to regard them more as part of the ecosystem and convenient yard complements but that aside, he wouldn't think he was _that_ at awe with greenery.

Geneva wasn't able to look past his pretense, and she only nodded. "Anyway, have you seen Yusuke-kun and the others? I thought you would be with them."

He scratched his nose a little, embarrassed. "They ran off somewhere, I actually lost track."

"Is that so?" she said, craning her neck to look over the heads in the crowd. "Would you like to find them? I know of a small café around the corner and I was planning on inviting all of you for an afternoon snack. If you are not indisposed, that is."

Raising both his eyebrows in surprise at the warm invitation, he said, "That will be nice. What do you say that I find them and we meet at your department?"

"That will be very convenient as I still have to take my things," she said, brushing the cuff of her shirt away from her wrist to reveal a watch. "It is ten past three. I will see you in ten minutes, then?"

"Yes, I can manage to find them within that time."

"I trust you know where our department is?"

"Actually…" He trailed off, smiling sheepishly.

She chuckled, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Just at the end of this corridor, the left turn. I will see you." They bowed to each other and she turned around, walking in that proud gait of hers to the direction of the department. He stayed watching her retreat, a little more convinced how such a personality could hold Yusuke and Kuwabara down.

Still, he wondered how she could lie to them and try to solve the mystery on her own. Doubtless that she could find anything of importance, much less have the gut to tell them—if ever there was a chance of such happening— what she could find out.

He was just turning on his heel to find the others when he jolted out of realization.

If he could make her tell things about genetics, could she actually slip on some _clue_?

○—○

Yusuke was positive Geneva-nee wanted to impress Kurama. She was wearing gloss on her lips—the first time he had ever seen her with it, for that matter—and they had been chatting about genetics and mice and alien stuff he could barely understand. Keiko was obviously interested and joined in on the two who sat beside each other on their round table, while he and his bud stuffed their mouths with their pasta and frappe. Shizuru had gone home, saying she had to do something and didn't wish to eat, Yukina tagging along after declining the professor's offer for she wanted to help Shizuru with the chores.

He couldn't believe how the stoic professor was easily snagged just because Kurama was crazy over science himself.

"Yes, genetic engineering is possible for both plants and animals, although there are too many ethical issues revolving around animal studies despite the fact that ultimately, these studies all seek the betterment of human life. For one, humans could be harmed from experimentation, and we could not afford to sacrifice lives when so many sectors are against the idea of humans playing god over their fellows," the professor said with a flick of her wrist before she took a forkful of her pasta that was quickly turning cold.

"So is it possible that in the future, humans are able to have the power of manipulating the genetic makeup of living things?" said Kurama, leaning in dangerously close toward Geneva-nee.

The sensei didn't seem affected by the distance—or lack, thereof. "Theoretically, yes, although I think it will not be anytime soon, for the same reasons as I have given."

When the redhead only nodded in understanding, Yusuke decided to butt in. "Hey, would you stop with the science talk? We haven't even had the chance to tease you about that opening, nee-san," he said, smirking.

"Well, that is a very candid way of putting it," the professor said, challenging him to say anything that she could easily rebut.

"Really, nee-san…" said Yusuke, frowning at her.

"Come off it, Yusuke-kun. Throw in whatever 'teases' you have," she said, tucking her chin on her palm in a deliberate picture of interest.

"Erm…"

"Nee-san, you didn't tell us you _could_ sing," said Kuwabara.

The professor gave out a deep chuckle, wiping her lips with the napkin in that grand way of hers. "Was there really a need to broadcast such skill?"

"Skill? That was _talent_!" said Keiko, looking askance at her.

"Singing is not a talent nowadays, Keiko-chan. Anyone can learn to sing, as long as they have a good ear," Geneva-nee said, stating a matter of fact.

"Skill or not, you were a rocker chick back at that stage," said Yusuke, choosing his words to get the rise out of her.

She shot him a glare. "Promise you will never address me as a 'chick', Yusuke. The term is derogatory at best."

_Ha, I knew it!_ "Whatever, nee-san. You just don't want to admit you could be a _girl_."

"I am a girl and I know that, thank you very much."

"Pantsuits aren't exactly girly."

"They are for work."

"Oh yeah? I think not. I never see you in a skirt."

"Skirts leave me cold. And you never see me on Sundays when I go to church."

"Oi, stop it already. I don't want to carry Yusuke all the way home," Kuwabara said, deciding to interrupt the verbal dispute before it escalated to the point where the professor could slap Yusuke to dreamland. Really, Keiko wasn't the only one who could knock him out cold with an open hand.

This effectively shut them up, and Yusuke thought of other things to say.

"I still can't believe your friends managed to force you to wearing that costume, though," his carrot-top friend said, beating him, his eyebrows quirking in a very suggestive manner.

"You have no idea how those two are willing to go through any lengths just so they could see me make a fool of myself," she said, a little put out at the mention of her friends. "It is difficult to get a point across when you are teamed up on by two full-grown Western women."

"But aren't the three of you _cute_?" said Yusuke. "With you being the cutest, of course."

"Yusuke-kun, I understand how attractive you find me, but I will not pick you as a groom any day," she said, cocking an elegant eyebrow before drinking from her teacup.

"What the hell, _nee-san_?"

Kurama pressed a hand on his mouth, muffling his chortle, while the professor chewed her pasta knowingly. Geneva-nee winked at him, an evil smirk in place.

"Evil witch," he said, grumbling.

"Evil _white lady_," Kuwabara managed to say before Keiko could react to what Yusuke said, whacking him upside the head.

"Keiko, you should really stop doing that!" Yusuke said, half-yelling, and his girlfriend only rolled her eyes toward the ceiling in exasperation.

○—○

The walk to the train station was just as rowdy as their snacking at the café and in no time at all, they were at the station's entrance. It had taken a lot of effort to convince the professor not to take the tab, but as small and frail as she was, she was able to stop them from being men for once.

"_Excuse me, but the idea that men should always shoulder the bill alone is extremely sexist. Let me," she said with a finality that didn't allow any of them to protest further, as she raised her hand to call the attention of a waiter._

The professor parted ways with them saying she had evening lecture and had to go back to the university, so their small group of five queued up with the growing crowd of people rushing home from work, and with some luck managed to squeeze into the train car. Kuwabara and Yukina stood next Kurama, while Yusuke had Keiko gathered in his arms, both of them pinned down by the crowd against the non-exit door.

They were let off the train not too soon after. Surprised that Kurama didn't say goodbye when he was expected to take another train that will take him home, he whispered his inquiry to the redhead who replied, "I need to talk to Yusuke and you."

He only raised his eyebrows, and with the two of them bringing up the rear, they ambled to the direction of the diner that was closed for the day. He and the redhead settled on the counter, and Yusuke joined them after Keiko and Yukina disappeared to the apartment upstairs.

"So, what's the meeting about?" he said, prompting the redhead to speak.

"I've been thinking—"

"News flash! You're always thinking, Kurama," said Yusuke.

Kuwabara and Kurama made faces and the third boy shrugged noncommittally.

"Anyways, as I was saying, I've been thinking about the laboratory theory. Did you listen in on the conversation I had in the café with Mabasa-sensei?"

The two best friends looked at each other and replied in unison, their expressions of incredulity, "No, isn't that obvious?"

Kurama shook his head, sighing. "Well, I was trying to draw answers from her. She specializes on genetics and biotechnology, and from what I found out, it turns out it's possible that different organisms can be genetically-modified in a laboratory."

"Which means?" said Yusuke.

"Like plants, animals can be cross-bred. To put it simply, a trait from a cat can be implanted to a dog, or a corn plant can have a trait from a pest-resistant grass. Humans are believed to be the highest form of animals. Certain classes of demons can mate with humans because they have genes. If I'm allowed to postulate, then it could mean that the half-breed demons we encountered were not the result of normal copulation, but of genetic engineering."

They took a moment to take in the information. If the people behind the creatures could manipulate genes, then could it mean…?

"Kurama, you're saying everything that's got genes in them can be played with in a lab?" asked Yusuke, and Kuwabara waited for the redhead's reply.

"I wouldn't use the term but yes, they can be played with. Theoretically, as Mabasa-sensei said."

"How about realistically?"

"That, we still ought to know. I will have to discuss with Koenma as soon as I can. But come to think of it: if Yusuke was the result of normal copulation and the demon and human genes of his ancestors were compatible, then the asexual procedure conducted in laboratories is entirely plausible."

Kuwabara scratched his chin thoughtfully. There was something off…

His hand dropped on the counter table with a thud. "But where would they get the genes?"

"Hmm, I haven't asked Mabasa-sensei. It might appear suspicious if I asked too many questions. I guess I'll have to find out on my own," said the redhead, looking abashedly at the two of them.

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Whether you've gone to an inquiry spree or not, she would hardly notice. Especially since you've already snagged her by feigning interest on your part," he said, an edge to his voice.

_Uh-oh_. Was Yusuke trying to hold the redhead off? It sure seemed that way. But Geneva-nee made it clear from the first day that she was not interested in men, at least not in the romantic way.

Kurama sighed, his eyes downcast, his knuckles turning white. For one second, Kuwabara thought he was nervous and afraid, unbecoming of his eternal calm and impassiveness. "Look, Yusuke, I was not trying to insinuate anything. It was, for lack of a better phrase, hitting two birds with one stone. I genuinely want to be friends with her, and at the same time, I thought it would be more productive if I asked her things that interest us both."

"Interest you both?" said Yusuke acidly. The redhead was about to open his mouth when the detective held up a hand in a manner that screamed authority. "Kurama, this is a fair warning. I've considered you a friend for years and I've known nee-san for four. I've heard of her reservations for relationships and yours. I'm telling you that she wants to be with someone no matter how she acts unlike it and I don't want you to do anything that will have her thinking that someone is you. I've seen her weep with Keiko when they watched flicks that remind her of her exes. And I don't want anyone to give her false hope. If you wish to be friends with her, and just stay that way, make it obvious. For sure she wouldn't try using gloss again if your point gets across."

Silence, a pregnant, charged silence.

"Well?" Yusuke prompted, fist falling on the countertop.

"Yes, Yusuke. I understand."

"Good. And one more thing." Yusuke looked at the redhead, pausing and waiting for him to look at him. When Kurama did, he said in the no-shit tone of his, "Don't ask any more questions from her. We made her promise that she wouldn't stick her nose in this business. Your approach may be a loophole, but she's got the right to keep her promise knowingly or not. Or break it. She's a big girl, and I don't want you bending her word for our own benefit."

"Yes, Yusuke. I won't."

"All right. I guess we're settled. Good day, gents."

Yusuke turned on his heel and headed for the stairs that led to the apartment upstairs. The two of them didn't move from their seats for a minute or two, and only when Kurama decided it was time to exit did Kuwabara speak.

"You all right?"

The redhead sighed, putting on his coat and heading for the door with him. "Yes, I will be."

"Yusuke can be such a brat sometimes. Forgive him. He just cares for nee-san too much."

"I understand, Kuwbara-kun. I hold some if not all of the blame after all." Kurama pushed the door and the bell jingled overhead. The sun had started its descent, and the buildings and houses were silhouetted against the orange sky.

"Don't beat yourself over it, though. Nee-san will be fine."

He was met with silence. Again.

"Kuwabara-kun, I've been meaning to ask."

"Hmm?"

"Has she never worn gloss before today?"

Kuwabara gulped, caught off guard by the question. "I… I don't remember any other time she did." And even if she did wear gloss before, he never would have noticed. The professor was the picture of mature elegance and wisdom, and she didn't need rouge to be respected anyway.

"Did she ask you to invite me to the opening?"

"No, she didn't say anything specific."

"I see."

And just like that, their conversation was over, shifting to idle talk on their way to the station.

As Kuwabara bade goodbye to the redhead and walked the rest of the way that would lead to his apartment a few blocks from the subway, he had a passing thought: _What was nee-san actually thinking? And what, pray tell, was Kurama thinking?_

He decided it was not worth the time to be analyzing the goings-on in the minds of those two intellectuals, and as he ascended the stairs that led to his apartment, he hoped the two wouldn't go breaking each other if they ever took a chance at it. He wanted to see his friends happy, and if happy would mean being in a relationship, then he could only hope they found the right person to spend their life with.

But Kurama was a demon. He would leave someday, when Shuichi and all the people he loved died, and that would leave him broken. And nee-san was human. She would die someday, die like him, and if she were to marry anyone but a human, she would leave him broken.

The telltale signs of a headache were appearing, and Kuwabara let his thoughts drift away as he faced Yukina at the doorstep.

Then he stopped. He was a human, Yukina was a demon…

* * *

Yay, so after a hundred years, I finally updated! Sorry this took soooo looong. This year in college robbed out most of my free time to dedicate to writing. I'm so sorry for that! :(((

But anyway, how was the chapter? Please review! Thank you! :)))

Till next time (I don't really know when, sorry)!


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